Woman Killed Fleeing Ill. Train Derailment, Blast

Reports that the derailment was caused by a washout of the tracks following heavy rain were "not a certainty and this remains under investigation," said Canadian National Railway Company spokesman Patrick Waldron.

The woman who was killed — Zoila Tellez, 41, of Rockford — had escaped from the stopped automobile, but she managed to get only 20 feet away before she fell and died, said Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia. Tellez' body was found face down on the ground.

Three people with the woman also ran from the car when it was bombarded with flying railroad ties and they were severely burned by flaming ethanol, said Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten. They were taken to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in serious to critical condition, and one was transferred to Stroger Hospital in Chicago, he said.

Officials evacuated about 600 homes in the area on the edge of Rockford, about 80 miles northwest of Chicago, Friday night amid concerns about air pollution.

All residents were allowed to return Saturday evening, and many milled around the scene taking pictures of the wreckage with their phones or cameras.