EUREKA, Mo. (AP) - Authorities say two dozen rail cars of a grain-hauling freight train derailed outside St. Louis, dumping much of the load but causing no injuries.
St. Louis County police and the Eureka Fire Protection District say the cars in the 98-car Union Pacific train derailed Tuesday afternoon near Eureka. The fire protection district's chief, Greg Brown, calls the scene "a big mess."
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis says the train was traveling from Iowa to Texas when 24 rail cars derailed, blocking the tracks, which are used by 34 trains each day.
Davis says crews will work through the night to clear the debris and repair any damaged track, but it's unclear when the area would reopen to traffic. Davis says the cause is under investigation.
This story has been corrected with Union Pacific updating that 24 cars, not 30, derailed.