A train in Texas caused an explosion Tuesday morning after it collided with an 18-wheeler, sending balls of black smoke and flames up into the air.
The crash took place around 6:45 a.m. at a railroad crossing outside Cameron, a city located 75 miles away from Austin.
The train, which was carrying vats of oil, exploded due to the crash, KRIV reported.
The situation could have been much worse, as there was a train car carrying hazardous material not too far away from the scene.
“There was some hazardous materials a little farther back, so by the grace of God, we were saved on that one,” Milam County Sheriff Chris White told KXAN.
White added that the fire was sparked mostly by petroleum and that there were no reports of chemical hazards.
Both the truck driver and the train conductor survived the crash without sustaining any injuries, KXXV reported.
The crash caused one home to burn down, but everyone was evacuated safely.
“We do have some elderly people that we’ve evacuated from their homes, and it does appear that one home has burned that was close to the tracks, but other than that, everybody seems to be safe and good,” White said.
Authorities evacuated homes in the area and shut down Highway 90 to traffic.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the crash investigation.
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