Czech firefighters were battling a major chemical blaze in eastern Czech Republic on Friday after a freight train derailed and carcinogenic benzene from damaged tank wagons caught fire. The derailment took place near the station in the town of Hustopeče nad Bečvou around noon local time (1100 GMT),

Authorities in the Czech Republic announced Saturday that a fire caused by the derailment of a freight train carrying benzene had been extinguished. A fire brigade spokesman told Noviny.cz that several small fires were put out overnight at the site of Friday's accident near Hustopeče nad Bečvou.