A train carrying ethanol derailed and several cars erupted in flames early Thursday in Raymond, Minnesota, sparking an evacuation of residents living near the crash site, officials said.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the train derailment around 1 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET.)
Around 22 rail cars “carrying mixed freight including ethanol and corn syrup” derailed, BNSF Railway said in a statement. Ethanol is a highly flammable chemical.
Several of the derailed tanks caught on fire, the sheriff’s office said.
An evacuation area within a half a mile around the crash site was established, and law enforcement officers and EMS personnel assisted with evacuating the area.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the derailment is under investigation, BNSF Railway said in a statement. Because of the accident, the main track was blocked and it was not clear when it’ll reopen, the company said.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation said Highway 23 was temporarily closed at Raymond from Kandiyohi CR 1 to Chippewa CR 1 because of the derailment.
In an update at 7 a.m. local time, the sheriff’s office said BNSF specialists were on scene as “continued mitigation” was underway, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said at 9 a.m. local time that it was working with public safety partners on local, state and federal levels to determine when families can return home.
Source: NBC News
