Los Angeles, Mar 28 (IANS): A 55-car cargo train carrying iron ore derailed in the desert of the western US' California state, local authorities said.

The train, which included two locomotives, derailed near Kelso on Monday, a ghost town and defunct railroad depot in San Bernardino County's Mojave National Preserve, said the county's fire department, adding that its fire engines and a hazardous materials team had responded to the scene and that there were no passengers onboard.

Officials later confirmed that there is a minor fuel leak from one locomotive and that there is "no current threat to public or environment", Xinhua news agency reported.

The incident occurred following a series of recent train derailments in the country. Earlier in March, a freight train carrying corn syrup derailed in neighbouring Arizona.

Another incident that drew national attention occurred on February 3 when a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in a significant fire and hazardous materials release in the area.