Meldrim trestle disaster
| Date | June 28, 1959 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3:30 pm (EST) |
| Location | Trestle rail bridge over the Ogeechee River in Meldrim, Georgia, United States |
| Type | Freight train derailment and LPG flash fire |
| Cause | Deflected rail beams as a consequence of thermal expansion |
| Deaths | 23 + an unborn child |
| Non-fatal injuries | 7 |
The Meldrim trestle disaster was a train derailment and fire at Meldrim, Georgia, United States, on June 28, 1959. Involved was a Seaboard Air Line mixed freight train that derailed over a trestle bridge across the Ogeechee River. Loaded LPG tank cars from the train fell onto the riverbank below and ruptured. The resulting fire killed 23 people, including entire families and a woman who was eight months pregnant, who were at the river shore in an area popular for swimming and picnicking. The derailment was caused by deflection of the rails on the trestle due to heat-induced expansion, resulting in the wheels of one car dropping between the rails.