DONALDSONVILLE, La.—Seventeen cars of a train derailed in south Louisiana on Friday, and several leaked a chemical used to sanitize swimming pools, but authorities said it was not a threat to the public.
It was not immediately clear what led to the Union Pacific Railroad train derailment around 7:30 a.m. in Donaldsonville, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of New Orleans. No injuries were reported, and no hazardous materials were involved, authorities said.
“We want the community to know that everyone is safe,” Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Cody Melancon said in a statement posted on Facebook. “We have no hazardous material leaks at this time. We do have several trains derailed. There’s only a white powder substance on the ground that is non-hazardous, made to make medicine.”…