A train carrying corn syrup derailed Wednesday evening in western Arizona, the railroad operator confirmed. The county sheriff's office told NPR there were no injuries and it was "not made aware of any spills or leaks."
The train, operated by BNSF, derailed around 7:40 p.m. in Mohave County, Ariz., near the California border. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
A sheriff's spokesperson the office had unconfirmed reports that the train was also carrying hazardous material, but BNSF said no such materials were involved in the derailment.
"There were no injuries as a result of the derailment and preliminarily reports indicate there are no hazardous materials involved," Lena Kent, a spokesperson for BNSF, told NPR in an email.
Approximately eight cars derailed and are blocking the main track, Kent said, and it's unclear when the track will reopen.
The derailment occurred parallel to Interstate 40, a major thoroughfare with some truck stops but "not a populated area," said Anita Mortensen, a spokesperson for the Mohave County Sheriff's Office.
The National Transportation Safety Board is aware of the derailment and collecting information, but it has not launched an investigation, a spokesperson for the agency told NPR.
The incident follows a string of high-profile train derailments. On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. About a month later, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio — this time with no toxic chemicals on board.
On March 9, a rockslide caused an empty coal train to derail in West Virginia, injuring three crew members and spilling diesel fuel and oil into a nearby waterway.
