ORANGE COUNTY, Texas - On Thursday morning, Texas authorities responded to a train derailment that resulted in the evacuations of nearby schools and residences.

The situation unfolded around 8:30 a.m. in the community of Mauriceville which is east of Beaumont and roughly 22 miles west of the Louisiana-Texas state line. 

According to a local ABC affiliate station, Channel 12 News, the train was carrying a currently unidentified chemical as it traveled along Mauriceville's intersection of Texas 62 and FM 1130.

Authorities ordered all citizens within a 1-mile radius of the derailment to evacuate the area and as the morning continued, a hazmat crew continued to work along with deputies and firefighters from Mauriceville Emergency Service District 4 to respond to the incident.

Students at the nearby campuses of Mauriceville Elementary School and Mauriceville Middle School were evacuated by school officials to the Little-Cypress-Mauriceville High School according to district spokesperson Sherry Combs.

The Sheriff's Office asked locals to avoid the area until the situation was contained.

At this time it is unknown what specifically caused the derailment and if it resulted in any injuries. 

According to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, a total of 806 train derailments occurred in 2019.