SUFFOLK, Va. — Officials say a train has derailed in downtown Suffolk but no injuries have been reported.
The city said in a statement that they were notified of the Norfolk Southern train derailment just before 7 a.m. Saturday. The statement said that the derailment caused a coal spill in the area.
Norfolk Southern spokeswoman Susan Terpay says the train was composed of 161 coal cars and that the company is estimating 44 railcars derailed. The train was headed to Norfolk and the coal was to be exported.
The city, about 20 miles west of Norfolk, said that streets in the area are closed and train personnel are attempting to disconnect the cars remaining on the track to move them further down the line. The city says a warehouse building was damaged by coal that spilled from the train. A home and a car also had windows broken by coal or coal debris.
The city said clean-up efforts and track repairs are expected to be "extensive and ongoing."