Huge fireball caught on video after train and 18-wheeler collide, Texas officials say

A train and 18-wheeler collided Tuesday morning in Texas, sparking a major explosion, officials say.

The crash happened around 6:40 a.m. in Cameron, KVUE reported.

Video of the aftermath posted to Twitter shows an opaque column of dark smoke billowing from the crash seconds before a fireball erupts into the sky.

Officials said the train conductor and semi driver both escaped without injury, KXXV reported. No one else was injured, per KXAN.

Milam County Sheriff Chris White told the outlet the blaze is largely petroleum and that there have been “no reports of chemical hazards.”

White said the front train cars were carrying coal and gasoline, KVUE reported.

“Luckily, the hazardous material was a little further back,” he said, according to the outlet. “By the grace of god, we were saved by that one.”

About an hour after the crash, Cameron Police Chief Lonnie Gosch said three train cars filled with fuel were on fire and would likely be left to burn, KMIL reported. Three more were derailed.

Due to the extreme heat from the fire, some homes in the area were evacuated, according to the radio station.

Initially, officials said no homes had caught fire, but White said one near the tracks appears to have been burned, KXAN reported. Two sheds also reportedly caught fire, according to KMIL

Around 10 a.m., White said crews from multiple fire departments were working to extinguish the fire, KVUE reported.

“There’s no more threat at this point,” White said, according to KXAN. “It’s just put the fire out and clean the mess up.”

Following the crash, video filmed by White showed thick smoke rolling over a road in what appears to be a residential area.

Several people shared photos of the blaze and column of smoke to social media, some from many miles away.

Cameron is roughly 80 miles northeast of Austin.

This story was originally published February 23, 2021 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Huge fireball caught on video after train and 18-wheeler collide, Texas officials say."