2 Dead, 3 Injured After Train Derails and Smashes Into City Building in Texas
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/train-derails-texas-121924-989d22753a8142a6bd9d1abff6ee5ed9.jpg)
Today at 09:09 PM
The two deceased individuals were identified as "veteran employees" of Union Pacific Railroad
Reeves County Texas/Facebook
Aftermath of the train derailment in Pecos, TexasTwo people are dead and three others are injured after a train smashed into a city building in Pecos, Texas.
According to a public notice from local officials, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, a train derailed in Pecos after colliding with a tractor-trailer near Oak Street and Dot Stafford Street. The train struck the nearby Chamber of Commerce building, Reeves County officials said in a separate advisory notice.
Pecos City Manager Charles Lino confirmed during a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 19, that two people are dead after the incident.
Related: 1 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Property Owned by Buffalo Bills Player Dion Dawkins
They were later identified as employees of the transport company Union Pacific Railroad, who were on the train during the collision, per Pecos Police Chief Lisa Tarango.
"Our condolences and sincere heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families as well as the Union Pacific Railroad family as well, as these were veteran employees in that agency," Tarango said.
She added that their names would not be released out of respect for their families and pending notification of next of kin. Three people who were injured sustained "minor injuries" and have since been released from the hospital, Tarango said.
Reeves County Texas/Facebook
Aftermath of the train derailment in Pecos, TexasRelated: 2 Men Found Dead After They Failed to Return Home in Separate Colorado Hiking Incidents
Ronald Lee, emergency services chief for Reeves County, said that some of those injured were in the Chamber of Commerce building during the collision.
"There was significant enough damage that we have advised all involved not to have anyone enter that building until they have an engineer come in and clear that building," Lee said of the damage to the building.
He confirmed that the train had containers with hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries and airbags for vehicles, but none were compromised during the collision.
Reeves County Texas/Facebook
Aftermath of the train derailment in Pecos, TexasThe National Transportation Safety Board confirmed on X that it sent out six investigators to the scene as cleanup and an investigation into the cause of the collision continues.
In a statement to NewsWest 9, Union Pacific Railroad said it is "saddened by the loss of two Union Pacific family members in Pecos, Texas, and extend our deepest sympathies to their families and the employees who worked alongside them."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"We are investigating as we cooperate with local first responders," their statement added.
PEOPLE has reached out to Union Pacific Railroad for comment.
