Two Trains In Fiery Wreck In Texas Panhandle

A head-on collision involving two freight trains caused several box cars to derail and erupt in flames in the Texas Panhandle on Tuesday, injuring an unknown amount of people and leading authorities to evacuate people who live nearby.

The accident happened near the town of Panhandle, about 25 miles northeast of Amarillo, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Bryan Witt. He had no cause or other details because emergency responders were still assessing the damage, Witt said.

The collision at about 8:40 a.m. involved two BNSF freight trains, BNSF Railway spokesman Joe Faust said.

BNSF officials confirmed to CBS affiliate KFDA-TV that the lead locomotives on two intermodal trains collided. Four BNSF employees were involved in the incident. At least on employee was transported to a local hospital and is being treated. Rescue efforts are underway at the scene with respect to the three other railroad employees involved in the incident.

Federal Railroad Administration investigators are on site of the head-on collision and are reporting injuries, agency spokesman Matthew Lehner said. There was no information regarding how many injuries or whether there were any fatalities.

The city of Panhandle told KFDA that residents east of SH 207 are being evacuated due to shifting winds near the area of the wreck. Additionally, the airspace near the wreck has been shut down due to the large amount of smoke.

Billy Brown, a farmer who lives in the area, said he saw a fireball erupt after the collision. Images provided by KFDA-TV in Amarillo showed thick, black smoke billowing from a jumble of several box cars that were strewn along the tracks.

"I don't know how anyone survived," Brown said. "It's terrible. I've seen a number of train wrecks but I've never seen one like this."

DPS Sgt. Dan Buesing said it's not unusual to have an accident in the Panhandle involving a truck that's struck by a freight train, but the magnitude of Tuesday's accident was startling.