WHARNCLIFFE (AP) — Four people were hurt, including one who suffered serious injuries, when a Norfolk Southern Corp. freight train derailed and struck a loading facility at a coal preparation plant in southern West Virginia on Tuesday, a spokesman for the railroad said.

While the most seriously injured victim’s injuries are not considered life threatening, they were serious enough for him to be airlifted to a hospital, Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said.

Other victims were taken to an area hospital for evaluation of what appeared to be minor injuries after being pulled from a damaged building at the Black Bear Preparation Plant in Mingo County, said Jama Jarrett, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training.

Three of the victims work at the plant in Wharncliffe and the fourth is a a Norfolk Southern conductor, who suffered minor injuries, Chapman said. Their names have not been released.

The plant is operated by a subsidiary of Abingdon, Va.-based coal producer Alpha Natural Resources. It employs about 30 people, according to government records.

‘‘What happened was the train crew was shoving an empty train under the loadout and five cars derailed,’’ Chapman said. ‘‘The cause is under investigation.’’

The derailed train apparently hit a support for a loading facility, causing it to collapse at about 7:30 a.m., said Alpha spokesman Ted Pile, who had no further details.

When the loading facility fell, it caused a building to collapse, trapping the workers, Jarrett said. It is unclear how much of the building was damaged, said Pile.

A spokeswoman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration had no immediate comment.

Alpha employs about 3,600 people and operates 50 mines and 10 preparation and blending plants in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

It is in the midst of a $1.4 billion takeover of rival Foundation Coal Holdings.

Several state mine officials were on site yesterday morning, along with Norfolk Southern Corp. officials and mine officials. By 11 a.m., the last trapped person had been removed, according to people at the scene.

The prep plant is located about 35 miles south of Logan on Mingo County Route 10/1, which is the old road that leads to Twisted Gun Golf Course at Gilbert Creek.

None of the officials with the mine, railroad nor the state would comment to The Logan Banner on the incident at the scene. One person at the scene said state mine inspectors were also on site investigating the derailment.

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Michael Browning, The Logan Banner managing editor, also contributed to this report.