Runaway train carriages derail near Los Angeles
A row of train carriages broke loose in a switching yard and rolled more than 30 miles before workers derailed them to avoid a potential disaster in Los Angeles. Tons of lumber tumbled on to trackside homes.
Rail workers diverted the 31 cars on to a side track at noon after they had raced nearly 30 miles at speeds sometimes topping 70mph. At least 11 derailed, unleashing a blizzard of wood, newsprint and fibreboard that destroyed two homes and damaged two others in Commerce, California.
