A CPKC train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire early Friday in a remote area of North Dakota, about 140 miles northwest of Fargo. No injuries were reported, and officials believe the threat to nearby residents is minimal.
Twenty-nine rail cars derailed around 3:45 a.m., according to Andrew Kirking, Foster County’s emergency management director. The train was carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur, and methanol, with the ammonia posing the greatest risk. Fortunately, wind carried the smoke away from the nearby town of Bordulac, home to about 20 residents.
“Wind has been in our favor,” said Bill Suess from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. “That risk has greatly subsided, but it remains as long as fires are burning.” Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia can cause severe health issues, though no evacuation is planned unless the wind shifts.
The cause of the derailment is unknown, but both the engineer and conductor escaped safely. About 10 to 15 rail cars caught fire, with a railroad fire crew responding to the blaze, which continued to burn as of midday Friday.
CPKC, formed by the merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern, has initiated its emergency response plan.
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