HOUSTON - A train car carrying lithium batteries exploded just north of downtown Houston on Sunday.
The blast was so strong, it broke windows in nearby homes.
"The moment that I got into the threshold and got inside an explosion went off and it threw me into the other side of the door, so there was a tremendous amount of force – I had no idea what was happening." said Tashi Garcia, who lives nearby the railroad tracks.
After the ringing in his ears subsided, he said he checked out the damage to his home. There were broken windows and cracks along the walls.
"It looks like someone's just gone through, throwing stuff." he said.
A Union Pacific spokesman said the train's conductor noticed smoke coming from one of the train cars and stopped the train.
When he went to inspect it, he saw one of the cars was on fire.
The spokesman said the car was carrying a load of lithium ion batteries and was heading to a recycling center.
He said the batteries aren't considered hazardous material.
There were no reports of injuries after the blast.
Anyone who was affected by the blast can call 888-877-7267 to file a claim with Union Pacific.