About 30 cars of a 112 car CP Rail train derailed about a mile west of Minot at 1:40AM friday killing one person. 13 were hospitalized from poison gas inhalation, 7 are in intensive care. Several cars actually rolled away from the tracks in this derailment. 17 or 18 tank cars containing anhydrous ammonia were among the consist, 5 were punctured. The fatality was an unidentified man found outside his house close to the wreck. The train was traveling to Minneapolis, originating in Medicine Hat, Alberta. None of the crew were injured.
Herman, I live about 15 miles from the wreck site. Police are controlling access to the site, as it is highly dangerous for us foamers, and yes, I want some pics, too. The ammonia brought or humble city to a grinding halt friday morning, and the fumes hung around till the later night. The normal ND wind wasn't blowing the stuff away until the late night. The one car that had exploded, flew over a few houses, and tore a gash into one house, before coming to a rest in the backyard of the struck house. The cars were piled like cordwood in the wreck. It is unknown what caused the wreck. That's what I know from our local news, and If you need add'l info, click CP Rail train wreck for more details, and pics.
Looks like a hell of a mess! Good coverage by the local paper though. WIsh we could get coverage like that around here, but when you live in a town with one newspaper you take what you can get. Please keep us updated!
I got the info from our local newspaper. Must have been a slow news day as the artical had pics and a 3 column write up. Most times a train accident in our OWN area doesn't get but a short blurb in the local paper. Wow Hemi. 15 miles is close enough for me when poison gas is involved! When I was a kid we lived in Beaumont, Texas. The Mobil refinery blew up and we had to evacuate. You don't give it much thought until you come back home and find your out door pets dead.
It was/is! The cleanup started today, with moving the cars, and unfouling the main. The Anhydrous count in ppm shot from livable to 2000ppm, which is lethal! One car that was moved leaked a large cloud of gas, and the crews had to evacuate. 2 are still in ICU hooked to ventilators,a nd the rest treated and released. That's the news for today. The suspect track state of repair is more or less confirmed as the cause of the wreck. The loco crews felt a rough section of track,a nd that was what caused the wreck, officials said. Laters!
They'll probably have the Incident Commander's head for that one. The cleanup crews should have been in at least Level B protective clothing for working on somthing like that. Should be interesting to read the after action report when it comes out. Of course, by then everyone will have forgotten, but then thats the nature of emergency management.
