2 taken to hospital after train derails in Alabama

Washington, April 10

Train cars derailed in Jasper, the southern US' Alabama state, with two crew members have been transported to a hospital as a precaution, said the police.

The train was operated by Norfolk Southern, a Class I freight railroad in the Eastern US, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a Facebook post by the Jasper Police Department.

The train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. Eleven cars and the lead locomotive reportedly came off track. There were no hazardous materials involved in the derailment or released into the area, according to Norfolk Southern.

"There were no major injuries," the Jasper Police Department said on Sunday, adding that two crew members have been transported to a hospital as a precaution.

Train derailments in the US have attracted more media and public attention after an early February incident in East Palestine, Ohio, which involved a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials.

According to US Department of Transportation data, there were an average of 1,475 train derailments per year between 2005 and 2021.