2 taken to hospital after train derails in US state of Alabama

WASHINGTON -- Train cars derailed in Jasper, the southern US state of Alabama, with two crew members have been transported to the hospital as a precaution, said police early Sunday morning.

The train was operated by Norfolk Southern, a Class I freight railroad in the Eastern United States, the Jasper Police Department said in a Facebook post.

The train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. Eleven cars and the lead locomotive reportedly came off track. There were no hazardous materials involved in the derailment or released into the area, according to Norfolk Southern.

"There were no major injuries," the Jasper Police Department said, adding that two crew members have been transported to the hospital as a precaution.

Train derailments are common in the United States and have attracted more media and public attention after an early February incident in East Palestine, Ohio, which involved a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials.

According to US Department of Transportation data, there were an average of 1,475 train derailments per year between 2005 and 2021.