The 141-car CSX freight train was headed to Selkirk, New York, when at least two dozen mostly empty rail cars came off the tracks near Morris Avenue in Union, New Jersey, about 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to a company spokeswoman.

The train had some scrap material and empty tankers, a county spokesman said.

Chopper 4 footage from over the scene shows cars completely off the tracks in a crumpled accordion pattern. At least one car appeared to be crushed.

Fire Chief Michael Scanio said the tracks suffered “severe damage” but that the train cars were empty according to the engineer’s manifest, and there were no injuries.

People were also evacuated from nearby homes and businesses, Scanio said, but were being allowed to return to their homes by late afternoon after hazardous materials teams cleared the accident scene.

NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley line, which runs on those tracks, is suspended between Newark Penn Station and Cranford and between Raritan and High Bridge, the rail agency says. NJ Transit buses are cross-honoring train tickets.

“CSX personnel are working with Conrail and local law enforcement on scene to assess the damage,” the company said. “The safety of the community, our employees and first responders on site is our highest priority.”

The transit suspensions were still in effect late Friday night, and it wasn’t clear how long it would take to restore service.

the cause of the derailment also remains under investigation.

“I’ve never seen fire move like that,” said Jeanine Jaroszek, who was buying coffee at Starbucks on Bell Lane around 10:02 a.m. with her twin teenage daughters. “I looked up and there was this fire like a wall and then we heard the explosion – the first explosion.”

What followed, she said, was chaos as people scrambled out of businesses and fast foot restaurants.

“There was shouting and people yelling to get out of the building,” Jaroszek said.

She said she heard “at least” two explosions. Video captured by Charlene Goodman, who was at the nearby Walmart, appeared to record at least five explosions.

The driver of a tanker truck that exploded in the area of the Applegate Road and Highway 99 has been found dead, according to Officer Eric Zuniga of the California Highway Patrol.

Mark Lawson, division chief with Calfire-Merced County, said the 2008 Peterbilt truck was carrying about 9,000 gallons of gasoline on a delivery to the Arco gas station on Bell Lane. He said authorities fear the leaking truck may dumped about 1,000 gallons of fuel into the gutter and that fuel may make its way into a drinking-water supply.

The cause of the crash the explosion remains under investigation.

Witnesses told investigators the truck already was on fire around 10:02 a.m. when it left the freeway onto the Bell Lane exit. It reportedly overturned, Zuniga said.

The force of the explosion was felt by numerous people in fast-food restaurants in the area. Multiple cars and trucks sustained heat damaged, and many were described by authorities as “scorched” as a result of the blast, authorities said.

A large plume of thick black smoke could be seen for several miles and was reported as far away as at least Delhi to the north and Merced to the south.

Highway 99 was open again as of 12:15 p.m., but the exit off Bell Lane remains closed.

Numerous businesses in the area were evacuated.

The longer term effects of the crash could wide-ranging, officials said. There are reports of gas leaks in the area of the crash and city leaders fear it could be several days before businesses in the area are allowed to reopen.

Students rehearsing their graduation ceremony Tuesday morning at Atwater Community High School have been sent home. Their graduation ceremony has been postponed for the time being, according to Nathan Quevedo, of the Merced County Office of Education.

“The explosion was so close the students could feel it,” Quevedo said. “The air quality was just so bad out there.”

Fernando Soria, 17, said smoke blacked out the sky. “It sounded like bombs, like from (a video game), boom, boom, boom,” he said.

Atwater Mayor Jim Price said the Panda Express restaurant will likely be closed for at least two days.

Authorities said they need to examine the power grid in that area and also confirm whether the fuel leaked into any water supply.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook Wednesday evening that a Grant County PUD substation caught fire in Ephrata at about 7 p.m.

KREM-TV reports a fault in the power line called an arc flash caused an explosion.

Utility officials said the cause of the outage was equipment failure in the Central Ephrata Substation and that customers there would be without power for several hours.

The sheriff’s office said no injuries were reported.

The sheriff’s office issued this statement late Wednesday night:

“A power substation fire in Ephrata around 7 p.m. tonight caused a wide power outage impacting the greater Ephrata area and causing a structure fire which damaged a Grant PUD building. Nobody was injured. This incident is under control and there is no further risk to the public.

“The substation had two major fire incidents which lit up the evening sky for about 30 seconds on two occasions. The fires burned in the distribution yard at Nat Washington Way and A Street Southeast in downtown Ephrata. A Grant PUD maintenance building also caught fire. Firefighters from the City of Ephrata and Grant County Fire District 13 saved a majority of the building.

“There were reports of other powers lines down and Grant PUD crews responded to fix those lines.

“Power is still out through much of the downtown Ephrata area. Power will be out for many hours. There is no estimate for when it will be restored.”

Jennette Montano told NBC News she heard “a big boom” that woke her up from her Lamar, Texas home at about 1:30 a.m. At first, she thought it might have been a meteor.

“My sister in law called me and said did you hear that?” Montano, 52 said. “I went outside and looked. It was glowing, orange or yellow.”

NBC affiliate KRIS-TV reported flames were visible from several miles away.

Officials said there were no injuries and the fire was extinguished. There are no refineries or plants nearby. Officials say flames were shooting over 200 feet into the air and could be seen for miles. The heat from the flames could be felt from up to a quarter of a mile away.

Refugio County Sheriff Raul “Pinky” Gonzales said there’s not expected to be any environmental damage from the rupture because the gas burned off as it spewed from the pipe.

“They shut the valves and bled out the line,” he said.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Nathan Bradley said it’s too early to know what triggered the explosion.

The line is owned by Kinder Morgan, which said in a statement they are trying to determine the impact the rupture will have on customers as well as what caused the incident.

Flames were reported on the fifth floor of the medical center on First Avenue by East 30th Street, officials said.

The fire is in an area that is under construction at a building that’s scheduled to open in 2018, hospital spokesman told the Associated Press.

The hospital is not being evacuated as of 12:30 p.m. and the fire is not deemed a threat to patients.

No injuries have been reported.

Thick black smoke could be seen rising from the building and twisting through the skyscrapers nearby.

Neighbors told police they heard an explosion before seeing the flames at the McKeesport Marina on Water Street.

“I heard this gigantic blast,” said Frank Ayers, who lives across the Youghiogheny River from the marina. “My house shook, my windows shook, my bed shook and the ground shook,” Ayers said.

Firefighters were called shortly before 3 a.m. to the marina, where five boats were damaged.

Several windows at a nearby church were shattered.

There were no reports of injuries.

Firefighters said the fiberglass boats melted. Boat owners rushed to the marina.

“We are like family down here, together all summer,” Kathy Taglowe said. Her boat was not damaged. Taglowe told Channel 11 News that when the boats are dry-docked for the winter, the power is turned off and the boats are stored behind a locked fence.

“It doesn’t make sense. I have no clue what could have happened,” Taglowe said.

The fire marshal and bomb squad are investigating.

The caller reports all persons on site are accounted for and not injured.

As of 5 p.m., two Coudersport Engines, one Austin Engine and two Austin Ambulances are on standby at the site of the explosion.

All fire teams present are currently waiting for Williams Gas employees to shut off surrounding gas wells. Once this is done, fire teams will be permitted in to fight the remaining fire.

The cause of the explosion is currently speculative — all that can be surmised is that there was a break in the main line which caused the explosion. According to fire police, there is an approximate estimate of 80 wells located around the site.

From an outside assessment, there is two separate fires that have occurred as a result of the explosion. One fire engulfed an unidentifiable structure while a smaller fire was seen by the dehydration towers.

According to Firefighter  Darren Vanwhy, Williams Gas Company and local fire outfits run a yearly drill should an explosion like this happen.

Roulette is standing by at Coudersport Station, Emporium has been dispatched to stand by at Austin Station.

Williams Gas Company public relations specialist Chris Stockton released the following statement: the fire is still trying to be contained and extinguished. Gas crews present on site are assessing that the line is isolated as well.

Stockton also said that it has been assessed that the explosion will not be an issue of public or environmental danger, and Williams customer will not be effected.

Neighbors said they woke up to the sound of a huge explosion in Wallkill around 6 a.m. Monday.

“I heard a huge boom,” neighbor Melissa Smith told CBS2’s Scott Rapoport. “It felt like an earthquake, to be honest.”

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they said the single-family bungalow on Meadow Lake Drive looked like something out of a war zone, Rapoport reported.

Initial reports indicated the people who lived at the home might still be inside.

“The biggest fear was that there were people trapped and may not be alive,” Circleville Fire Chief Walter Szulwach said.

He says they immediately began the nerve-wracking process of searching for victims.

To their relief, they confirmed the two men — Will Rheule and another man — who lived in the house were not there at the time. One of the men was with his girlfriend at the time; the other resident was at work, Rapoport reported. Neither one wanted to be interviewed.

“Thank God we found out there was no one trapped and no injuries,” Szulwach said.

Firefighters said a propane gas leak from a tank on the property filled the house with gas, causing the explosion. It is unknown what caused the leak.

Almost all of the damage was contained just to the home, but neighbors said the incident has left them rattled.

“It is scary because I have to live here,” said neighbor Tina Benjamin. “I hope this doesn’t happen to any other bungalows.”

Rheule, and his roommate are moving into another nearby bungalow.

The gas and electricity have been turned off in the home as a precaution as the investigation gets underway.

The manager of the complex said the smelled prepare on Sunday, and shut off the valve to the tank. She called the propane company about it and said they were supposed to come out to have a look at it.