What Happened
What Happened
On April 26, 2024, about 12:37 p.m. local time, westbound BNSF Railway mixed freight train H-BELPHX1-25 derailed 35 railcars at milepost 178.6 on the BNSF Railway Gallup Subdivision near Manuelito, New Mexico. The derailed equipment included six Department of Transportation Specification 112A340W tank cars loaded liquefied petroleum gas, a hazardous material. Four of these tank cars were breached (punctured or torn) during or after the derailment and released lading, which ignited. Because tank cars carrying liquified petroleum gas can explode when exposed to fire, the local fire department ordered an evacuation within a 2-mile radius of the derailment; 52 people were evacuated, and Interstate 40 was closed in both directions from milepost 10 to milepost 126. Sections of Interstate 40 remained closed for about 48 hours. The local fire department allowed the tank cars to burn overnight, and the fires were extinguished on April 27. The evacuation and road closure were lifted on April 28. No injuries were reported. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the thermal protection performance of the tank cars involved in the release. The investigation focused on the hazardous materials release and did not determine the probable cause of the derailment.
What We Found
What We Found
The investigation focused on the hazardous materials release and did not determine the probable cause of the derailment.
What We Recommended
This accident illustrated that cascading hazardous materials releases occur in trains other than high-hazard flammable trains. The NTSB has previously recommended that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration expand the definition of high-hazard flammable train as described in Safety Recommendation R-24-15.
The NTSB focused its investigation on the performance of the tank cars rather than the emergency response, which was timely and effective in protecting the public from the danger posed by the derailed hazardous materials tank cars. However, the response included significant road closures, and the after-action report created by the McKinley County Office of Emergency Management noted the risks stranded motorists may face during widespread and prolonged road closures. The office is working with state partners to update its road closure plan.
The McKinley County Office of Emergency Management’s decision to update its road closure plan even after a successful evacuation is a valuable reminder to emergency response agencies that emergency preparedness is an ongoing task.
