22 freight train cars tumble into flooded Northern California river after derailment
A freight train derailed in the Sacramento Valley Friday, sending 22 cars full of food tumbling into the Cosumnes River, authorities said.
The train derailed before 1 p.m. as it passed over an inlet near Highway 99 and Dillard Road south of Elk Grove, said Cosumnes Fire Department Battalion Chief Kris Hubbard.
Three people were onboard and no one was injured, he said.
The train was northbound along the Fresno Subdivision route in Elk Grove when it derailed, said Union Pacific spokesman Justin Jacobs. Authorities initially estimated 17 cars had gone into the river.
An investigation into the cause of the derailment is ongoing.
Authorities were spending Friday afternoon working with Union Pacific Railroad to remove the cars from the river, Hubbard said.
Hubbard said the derailment briefly stretched the Cosumnes Fire Department’s resources thin as crews were already busy dealing with the river, which began flooding Friday morning amid a week of storms.
At least 100 residents in Wilton and surrounding communities were asked to evacuate.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
UPDATES:
3:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Union Pacific Railroad.
This article was originally published at 3:05 p.m.
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