Interstate near Arizona-New Mexico line reopens after train derailment as lingering fuel burns off

Local authorities accidental Interstate 40 has reopened successful some directions arsenic occurrence crews proceed ticker implicit a controlled pain of remaining substance from a freight bid derailment adjacent the Arizona-New Mexico authorities line

LUPTON, Ariz. -- Interstate 40 was reopened successful some directions Sunday arsenic occurrence crews continued ticker implicit a controlled pain of remaining substance from a freight bid derailment adjacent the Arizona-New Mexico authorities line, a section occurrence main said.

Earlier evacuation orders person present been lifted.

“It's each nether control," said Fire Chief Lawrence Montoya Jr., of McKinley County, New Mexico. “Our hazmat squad is connected site, on with our well-trained firefighters.”

Montoya, the incidental commandant astatine the scene, said the controlled burns were inactive consuming remaining substance connected immoderate cars. He said nary 1 was wounded successful the Friday derailment of the BNSF Railway bid adjacent Lupton, Arizona, which occurred connected the New Mexico broadside of the tracks, oregon during the consequent firefighting operation.

For a time, the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 were closed astir Holbrook, Arizona, and the westbound lanes of the interstate were closed astatine Grants, New Mexico.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation reported Sunday that motorists should proceed to expect dense fume successful immoderate areas, arsenic good arsenic agelong delays that could necessitate them to question different routes oregon postpone question to the area.

Montoya said firefighters continued to region debris from the country and that repair of the tracks was nether way.

The origin of the derailment remained nether probe Sunday, said Montoya. He said investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and different national agencies were astatine the scene.