(AP) — Investigators say the blast that prompted evacuations near Union Pacific's massive railyard in western Nebraska last week appears to be accidental, but it's not yet clear what caused it.
The chief investigator for the fire marshal’s office, Adam Matzner, said Tuesday that investigators haven’t found any sign of a criminal act connected with the explosion, so the incident appears accidental.
A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration said Tuesday that he couldn’t provide any additional details about the agency’s investigation.
North Platte is located about 230 miles (370 kilometers) east of Denver and about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Omaha.
Union Pacific is one of the nation's largest railroads with more than 32,000 miles (nearly 51,500 kilometers) of track crisscrossing 23 Western states.
Persons:
Adam Matzner, haven’t, Kristen South, Pacific's
Organizations:
—, Nebraska State Fire, Federal Railroad Administration, Union Pacific
Locations:
OMAHA, Neb, Union, Nebraska, North Platte, Denver, Omaha, The, Ohio, East Palestine , Ohio