Dramatic Drone Video Captures Aftermath of Wisconsin Train Crash

A drone video captured footage of the Wisconsin train crash aftermath. About a dozen train cars derailed Thursday outside of the small town of De Soto, Wisconsin, with some falling into the Mississippi River. Emergency crews responded to the scene, including a Hazmat team. The railroad said it is investigating what caused the derailment.

One of the cars in the train was hauling fuel, causing a plume of smoke to rise in the sky. Two of the train’s three locomotives, and many cars carrying various kinds of freight, were derailed. The derailment blocked the main track in both directions, BNSF said.

Aftermath of the Wisconsin Train Crash: Drone Footage

The accident caused several injuries, but luckily no one was seriously or fatally harmed. Various agencies are on the scene, including the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. A video capturing the aftermath of the crash shows a few train cars floating in the river.

The number of train related accidents this year have raised concerns. It follows a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, and a train that crashed and derailed in Rockwood, Maine.

This comes less than a month after another train (carrying hazardous material) derailed in Raymond, Minnesota. In that incident, a diesel tanker truck ruptured in the crash, pouring nearly 1,200 gallons of liquid into the Mississippi River.

This event takes place shortly after a similar incident in Knapp, Montana. A Union Pacific train derailed near the 190th Street crossing on Sunday, and a few of its cars spilled into the river. Traveling at speeds exceeding 100 mph, the train transported ethanol and corn syrup, as confirmed by a spokesperson from Union Pacific.

The teams assessment of the damage: Ariel footage

Drone footage captured some of the derailment’s aftermath. The footage, filmed by Caitlin Nolan, showed several train cars floating in the river and debris from the crash on the shore.

While a number of the train’s containers did not fall into the river, some of them did contain paint and lithium-ion batteries. The Federal Railroad Administration tweeted that they sent a team to the site. This team will gather information, help local emergency workers, and look into other matters regarding the incident.

The BNSF Railway, the train operator, says some of the train’s cars that fell into the water might have contained paint and batteries. However, the railroad’s Lena Kent told CNN that the volume of the train’s cargo was not large enough to be a pollution problem.

A derailment like this could have catastrophic consequences if the train’s cargo is highly toxic. That’s why BNSF is using a special technique called “burning the chemicals” instead of risking an explosion.