A train crossing a bridge on the Potomac River between Maryland and West Virginia in Harpers Ferry derailed at about 2:30 AM Saturday morning, causing two cars to fall into the river and wiping out part of a footbridge that makes up the Appalachian Trail.
According to NBC Washington, the two cars that fell into the river were empty grain cars and the locomotive part of the train remained intact. No injuries have been reported and the scene is being described as a "bridge collapse."
The bridge the accident occurred on was built during the Civil War era and is today used by CSX as a freight rail line. The footbridge running alongside it is described as a popular part of the Appalachian Trail which stretches about 2,200 miles from Maine to Georgia.
Authorities expect the removal of the cars from the Potomac River to be a "lengthy process" and that several large cranes have already appeared in the vicinity.
Source: NBCWashington.com
Photo: Getty Images