An Alaska Railroad train derailed early Tuesday after hitting an avalanche of debris that littered the tracks, authorities said.
The first two cars of the 3,144-foot freight train skidded off the track and a third car partially derailed after colliding with the snow pile in the Turnagain Arm area south of Girdwood.
Two crew members were aboard the train when it hit the snowfield just before 2 a.m., railroad spokeswoman Christy Terry told KTUU-TV. The train had just left Whittier and was heading north.
A rescue team of three firefighters and an Alaska Railroad employee crossed the ice and climbed over the rubble to reach the workers on the train, Girdwood Fire and Rescue said.
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An Alaska Railroad train derailed after colliding with avalanche debris that littered the tracks south of Girdwood early Tuesday morning.
(Girdwood Fire and Rescue)
The train workers freed themselves and were escorted out of the area to safety. The train’s crew was back on duty at 4 a.m., authorities said.
It is not known when the avalanche covered the tracks.
Justin Shelby, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, told the Anchorage Daily News that the debris stretched about 300 feet across the tracks and was about 30 feet deep.
Authorities said two railway workers were on board the train and were not injured during the incident.
(Girdwood Fire and Rescue)
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Girdwood Fire and Rescue said on Facebook that drivers on the Seward Freeway should expect delays in the area Tuesday as the state department of transportation conducts avalanche mitigation efforts.
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Officials said avalanches in the area are not unusual and urged the public to remember to use avalanche beacons, practice rescue planning and learn snow avalanche conditions before venturing out.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
