55-car cargo train derails in California desert

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A 55-car cargo train carrying iron ore derailed Monday in the desert of the western U.S. state of California, local authorities said.

The train, which included two locomotives, derailed near Kelso, a ghost town and defunct railroad depot in San Bernardino County's Mojave National Preserve, said the county's fire department, adding that its fire engines and a hazardous materials team had responded to the scene and that there were no passengers onboard.

Officials later confirmed that there is a minor fuel leak from one locomotive and that there is "no current threat to public or environment."

The incident occurred following a series of recent train derailments in the country. Earlier this month, a freight train carrying corn syrup derailed in neighboring Arizona.

Another incident that drew national attention occurred on Feb. 3 when a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in a significant fire and hazardous materials release in the area.