PECOS, Texas — Federal authorities are probing the tragic incident in West Texas that occurred when a Union Pacific train collided with a tractor-trailer transporting a huge wind turbine base. The crash, which resulted in the derailment of the train, has prompted officials to investigate why the tractor-trailer was stationary on the tracks at the time of the accident.

The collision, which took place on Wednesday at a railway crossing in Pecos, claimed the lives of two employees from Union Pacific, a company based in Omaha, Nebraska. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has stated that it has not yet ascertained how long the tractor-trailer had been stopped on the tracks nor whether any attempts were made to alert the train crew through the emergency contact number displayed at the crossing.

Before the impact, the train was traveling at approximately 68 mph (or 109 kph) when the crew engaged the emergency brakes, according to the NTSB’s findings. The violent collision was powerful enough to launch the wind turbine base into a nearby structure, causing damage to the local Chamber of Commerce building. Reports from a local official indicate that several individuals inside that building sustained injuries due to the incident.

The police chief of Pecos has indicated that the injuries sustained by the three individuals were classified as minor. As part of the ongoing investigation, the NTSB mentioned that a data recorder from the wreckage has been collected and is on its way to the agency’s laboratory for further analysis.