Freight train derails in U.S. Arizona

LOS ANGELES, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A freight train carrying corn syrup derailed in western U.S. state of Arizona on Wednesday night, the rail provider said, after initial reports said the train may have hazardous materials onboard.

Railway company BNSF Railway said in a statement to media that the train derailed near Topock in western Arizona, close to the border with California, at about 7:40 p.m. local time.

Approximately eight cars were reported to be derailed, the company confirmed, adding that "there were no injuries as a result of the derailment and preliminarily reports indicate there are no hazardous materials involved."

The cause of the incident is under investigation, according to the statement. The company said on its official website that it is one of North America's leading freight transportation companies, with a rail network of 32,500 route miles in 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.

While no spills have been reported, Mohave County sheriff deputies initially reported that the train could have been carrying hazardous materials, according to the report of a local news outlet, Arizona's Family, powered by KTVK 3TV and KPHO CBS 5 News.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and BNSF Railway are actively responding to the crash, the report added.

The incident came after a string of recent train derailments in the country.

The U.S. state of Ohio sued railroad Norfolk Southern on Tuesday over a train derailment in the state's East Palestine last month. A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3, which resulted in a significant fire and hazardous materials release in the area. Another freight train operated by the company derailed near Piedmont in the southeastern U.S. state of Alabama last week.