NTSB Finds Water On Rails At Ill. Derailment Site

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — There was high water along the northern Illinois rail line where a freight train derailed, setting off a fiery explosion and killing one person, federal authorities said Sunday.

It's unclear what the exact water levels were during Friday's crash and what role if any water played in the accident, said Robert Sumwalt of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Parts of northern Illinois may have gotten as much as 4 inches of rain Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, 40 to 50 miles east of Rockford, measured 3.6 inches, a record for the date. ...