Train Derailment Sends 15 Tankers Off Track Near Soulard

More than a dozen railroad cars derailed this morning, April 16, in St. Louis' Kosciusko neighborhood, an industrial area on the edge of downtown near Soulard.

According to KMOX's Sean Malone, approximately 15 tankers went off the tracks at around 6:30 a.m. near Redbird Carriers (1301 South Wharf Street). A Union Pacific employee told KMOX that the cause of the derailment is unknown and that an investigation is underway.

By 4 p.m., five railroad cars were still off track as crews worked to flip them upright. The railroad cars were marked as carrying explosive materials, but Union Pacific says there is no hazard to the public.

Scroll down for photos of the scene, taken this afternoon.