Crude oil train derailment triggers evacuation

Residents were evacuated on Monday (December 30th 2013) from areas of Casselton, North Dakota, US after a train transporting crude oil derailed. The mile-long train came off the tracks just before entering the centre of the town, resulting in a series of explosions and large fires.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF) train came off the tracks at around 2.30pm local time, resulting in around ten cars catching fire. The fires caused plumes of black smoke to shoot skyward, which could pose serious health risks if the wind changes. Authorities reported they would allow the fires to burn out on their own, which left the fires going for several hours after the incident.   

Around 300 people were evacuated from the area with a shelter set up in the town of Fargo, some 25 miles away. The Cass County sheriff's office recommended that everyone from the town and anyone living with five miles to the south and east of the area evacuate as precaution. 

This urge to evacuate is fuelled by forecasts from the National Weather Service, which suggests the weather will soon shift as black smoke continues to rise from the crashed train.

The cause of the derailment has not yet been ascertained but it is thought that a second train transporting grain was also involved in the incident. According to Amy McBeth, spokesperson for NSF, the grain-carrying train was the first to derail, causing several of the oil train's cars to be knocked off the adjoining tracks. A team has been launched by the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the incident.

This latest incident adds to concerns already brewing over the reliance of the US on trains to transport oil products. With previous accidents - such as the Quebec train that was carrying crude oil derailing on July 6th 2013, killing 47 people - creating  fear that further damaging derailments will occur.

The News reports that town officials are still awaiting word from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as to whether any products on board the train could be damaging to human health.