BETHLEHEM, Pa - Cleanup continues Sunday in Lower Saucon Township as crews and contractors are on site where the three-train collision and derailment of Norfolk Southern trains occurred Saturday morning.
The derailment took place in the 2200 block of Riverside Drive in the Steel City section of Lower Saucon Township at around 7:15 am.
Local residents and train lovers watched Sunday as workers pulled locomotives from the Lehigh River.
The NTSB says it has sent a team of experts to the scene to investigate the incident.
Norfolk Southern will continue with the cleanup and begin work to restore the track once the investigation has been completed, according to a statement from the company.
Norfolk Southern said on Sunday, "Norfolk Southern crews and contractors remain at the derailment site. Members of the NTSB have arrived and are investigating. Once they have completed their investigation of the scene, we will continue with site cleanup and begin work to restore the track. The area where the locomotives were in the water will remain contained with booms until any residual sheen has been removed.."
According to preliminary information from the NTSB, an eastbound Norfolk Southern hit another Norfolk Southern train that was stopped on the same track. Wreckage from the first train then spilled onto an adjacent track and was struck by a third, westbound Norfolk Southern train, according to the NTSB.
An unknown number of cars were derailed and two of the trains fell into the Lehigh River. Thankfully there were no reports of injuries to train crews or anyone else.
The accident caused an unknown quantity of diesel fuel and a small quantity of polypropylene pellets to be spilled into the Lehigh River as a result of the derailment.
There were no reports of hazardous materials being released at the scene or into the Lehigh River, according to the NTSB.
Containment booms were deployed to contain the diesel fuel and will remain in place until any residual sheen has been removed, according to the statement from Norfolk Southern.
Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said, "We need to allow NTSB to do its investigation. He also added, "Norfolk Southern needs to be better".
Riverside Drive remains closed while work continues.
This is a Developing story.
Photo courtesy Mike Nester
Photos courtesy Mike Nester