MOUNT CARBON,
W.Va. (AP) — One witness described seeing a fireball that rose at least 300 feet into the air after a train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia.
The derailment sent at least one tanker into the Kanawha River, ignited at least 14 others and sparked a house fire.
One person was being treated for potential inhalation issues, but no other injuries were reported, according to CSX, the train company. Nearby residents were told to evacuate as state emergency response and environmental officials headed to the scene about 30 miles southeast of Charleston.
The state is under a winter storm warning and getting heavy snowfall at times. It's not clear if the weather had anything to do with the derailment, which occurred along a flat stretch of rail.
The office of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, which has issued a state of emergency, said the tanker cars were loaded with Bakken crude from North Dakota and headed to Yorktown, Virginia.
