A dramatic video clip showing the moment dozens of train cars and shipping containers fell off an elevated train track in New Orleans, Louisiana, is fast going viral. What makes the video interesting is the fact that the train cars and the containers that weigh thousands of tons were thrown off the bridge like they were made of cardboard — all due to the effects of gale force winds.
According to WGNO, it was their camera that caught the moment of the dramatic crash. The incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, when the area was hit by a severe storm. According to an official from the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, the train was travelling at a sedate 4 mph over the bridge when the gust of wind knocked several carriages off the bridge. A statement issued by them confirmed the mishap and gave further information.
“The Union Pacific train was east bound headed to the CSX Gentilly Yard traveling at approximately 4 mph on the elevated down-slope structure of the railroad tracks over land, attached to the Huey P. Long Bridge.”
The Huey P. Long Bridge is the longest and highest steel railroad bridge in the United States. Completed in 1935, it is 4.35 miles long from abutment to abutment.
Luckily, no one was underneath the bridge when the carriages and the containers fell. No injuries have been reported, either. Officials have also confirmed that none of the crashed containers had hazardous and sensitive cargo. As of now, structural engineers are being sent on their way to assess the damage caused by the mishap. They will assess the damage inflicted to the bridge and check for any damage to the tracks, reports ABC 11.
“There is one container still listing on the tracks. Structural engineers are en route to assess the remaining cars and any damage to the tracks,” the statement read.
A few hours after the incident, the Huey P. Long Bridge has been thrown opened to to vehicular traffic.
The news about this severe storm and the subsequent train crash in Louisiana comes just a few hours after the Inquisitr had reported about severe tornado warnings that had been issued across North Texas. A one-mile-wide tornado was also reported from the area in the early morning.
Meanwhile, don’t you think this incredible train and bridge video once again proves how defenseless human beings are in front of the sheer power of nature?
[Image via YouTube]
