Train derailment near Simsboro
Photos courtesy of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office Though some of the 19 train cars that derailed between Simsboro and Grambling Sunday morning contained hazardous material, none of them leaked, officials say.
Two Lincoln Parish roads remained closed as of Sunday evening because of a 19-car train derailment that occurred around 6:30 a.m. just east of Hwy. 563 between Simsboro and Grambling.
Hwy. 563 is blocked at Braswell Lane and Hwy. 150 is blocked at Hyatt Road, according to the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office. These closures will remain throughout Sunday night.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight train was westbound when the incident occurred. Authorities the say the only impact on the public is traffic-related.
Though some of the cars were carrying a confirmed hazardous material, none of cars ruptured. So far, officials have not said specifically what the cars were carrying.
CPCK officials are on scene clearing the wreckage and fixing the track.
Lincoln Parish Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Kip Franklin said authorities don’t yet know what caused the rail cars to either fully or partially topple off the track.
Residents in the area are sheltering in place.
“We got lucky. We’re in a really good area. It’s a quarter-mile or better to the closest residence,” Franklin said.
After a roughly 12-year period with no such incidents, this is now the second train derailment in Lincoln Parish in a little more than a year, the last being a 23-car derailment near Choudrant.
