Emergency crews responded Wednesday morning to the scene of a train derailment in northeast Nevada. U.S. military officials and other first responders confirmed the train was loaded in part with ammunition,grenades, and bombs when some of the cars went off the track a little more than 50 miles east of Elko. It was also hauling a substance identified as aluminum oxide, so the derailment was treated as a hazardous materials incident. Emergency personnel were reportedly being decontaminated as they left the site. However, Union Pacific Railroad reports that 22 cars were involved in the derailment and that it was a shipment of vegetable oil that spilled out of one of the derailed cars.
The Elko County Sheriff's Office says the cars carrying the munitions were on the opposite end of the train and remained on the tracks.
Officials also say Interstate 80 east of Wells was closed in both directions for a time but is now open. There were no initial reports of injuries and the Federal Railroad Administration is said to be investigating the cause.