DACUS, Texas — Clean-up is in progress following the weekend derailment of 31 cars of a BNSF Railway train of crushed limestone in the small town of Dacus.
No injuries were reported.
There is some disagreement between the railroad and local officials over the reporting of the incident. BNSF told KTRK-TV on Monday that it notified authorities of the derailment within 10 minutes after it happened late Saturday. However, the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said that while the county sheriff’s office was informed, the responding deputy was told it involved four to five railcars and cleanup would begin during the day.
“At daybreak, when it was obvious more than five cars derailed, no update from BNSF came to any agencies or the state,” the county office said in a statement.
BNSF told the station it followed all necessary protocols for an incident on company property with no hazardous materials, and believed its notification was sufficient since no emergency response was necessary.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Dacus is about 55 miles north-northwest of downtown Houston.
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