GALLUP, N.M. — A BNSF Railway train derailed and caught fire near the Arizona-New Mexico state line at midday Friday, forcing the closure of Interstate 40, KOB-TV reports.
The derailment on BNSF’s Gallup Subdivision about 12:42 p.m. Mountain Time, according to an initial BNSF report to customers. BNSF places the incident near Lupton, Ariz., approximately 22 miles southwest of Gallup; KOB says it is about 3 miles from the state line in New Mexico and about 13 miles west of Gallup. New Mexico State Police say the train’s cargo included gasoline and propane.
The Arizona Republic reports that the Navajo Nation Council announced that evacuations had been ordered within a 2-mile radius of the half-mile marker on I-40 in New Mexico as of Friday night, with Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren saying his administration was working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, and BNSF to assess the derailment and its impact. The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Police Department were already at work in the area. The risk of danger to the public was considered low, Nygren said.
The Associated Press reported that traffic was backed up for more than 10 miles on I-40 on Friday afternoon as drivers faced lengthy detours on two-lane roads. The road remained closed as of late Friday, with no word when it might reopen.
The Arizona Corporation Commission, which oversees railroads in Arizona, said on social media site X that 10 cars had derailed and sent an inspector to the scene before determining the derailment had occurred outside of its jurisdiction. Numerous reports indicated that firefighters were allowing the burning railcars to burn themselves out.
Both directions of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief have been affected, according to the Amtrak Alerts feed on X. The westbound train was to terminate in Albuquerque on both Friday and Saturday, while the eastbound train was cancelled between Los Angeles and Albuquerque both days.
— Updated with additional information on April 27 at 8:25 a.m.
Share this article
