Mudslide causes train to derail in Boundary County

A mudslide caused a dozen train cars to derail and some tumbled down a steep hillside Wednesday morning in Boundary County, Idaho.

Emergency personnel said the cars were loaded with grain and derailed at about 7:30 a.m. on Union Pacific track about four miles north of Highway 2 along Moyie River Road.

Most of the derailed cars slid onto their sides along the tracks, while four tumbled down the hillside, according to a news release from Boundary County Emergency Management. The cars stopped before reaching the Moyie River and no hazardous material was involved.

Officials reviewed photos of the accident and determined that the train vibrated off the tracks as it crossed the section where the mudslide had hit, the release said.

The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office took aerial photos of the crash, and crews moved some equipment to reopen Moyie River Road.

Because of steep terrain, Union Pacific may need to transport equipment by rail to the site of the derailment, the release said.