The fiery crash caused several box cars to go up in flames and forced authorities to evacuate residents in the area, The Associated Press reported.
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Three BNSF Railway crew members remain missing Wednesday, a day after two BNSF freight trains traveling on the same track collided head-on about 25 miles northeast of Amarillo. The man was being treated at a hospital and the extent of his injuries was unknown. As nightfall approached, floodlights were being brought in as efforts to quell the flames and search for the missing crew members was expected to continue well into the night, Buesing said.
Officials are unsure how fast the trains were going or why they were on the same track, according to the AP.
According to officials with BNSF, the lead locomotives on two trains collided.
Authorities have not disclosed why the trains were on the same track.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of six to investigate. Emergency crews were searching for the other three.
Faust said that the trains carrying consumer goods and the winds are also high which create problem to control the fire.
One of the trains is reported to be a BNSF Railroad freight train.
Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Matthew Lehner says that there are injuries in the crash between two BNSF trains near Panhandle, Texas, but didn’t specify how many injuries. The city’s water supply is being depleted by firefighters who are on the spot trying to douse the fire.
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One local resident who farms in the area, Billy Brown, said he saw the fireball erupt after the collision. “It’s awful. I’ve seen a number of train wrecks but I’ve never seen one like this”.
