Train derails in rural North Dakota and chemical spills
A Canadian Pacific train derailed in rural North Dakota on Sunday evening and spilled hazardous materials, but local officials and the railroad said there was no threat to public safety
WYNDMERE, ND — A Canadian Pacific train derailed in rural North Dakota on Sunday night and spilled hazardous materials, but local officials and the railroad said there was no threat to public safety.
There were no injuries or fires associated with the derailment, which occurred in a rural area outside Wyndmere, a town of several hundred people about 60 miles southwest of Fargo.
Canadian Pacific spokesman Andy Cummings said 31 of the train’s 70 cars left the tracks around 11:15 p.m. Sunday and some cars leaked liquid asphalt. But there is no watercourse near the derailment site.
The railroad’s hazmat experts are working with local first responders to clean up the spill. Several roads in the area have been closed.
It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment or the exact amount of liquid asphalt spilled.
Rail safety has been in the national spotlight since last month’s violent derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near East Palestine, Ohio. About half of this town of about 5,000 people near the Pennsylvania border had to be evacuated after authorities decided to release and burn toxic chemicals.
Federal regulators and members of Congress have proposed reforms they want the railroads to make to prevent future derailments.
ABC News
