In Minnesota, a train carrying ethanol derailed, and several carriages caught fire, prompting homeowners in the area to flee their houses out of an abundance of caution.
According to the information provided by the Raymond Fire Department, the incident took occurred at one in the morning in the relatively tiny city of Raymond.
The city is located about 110 miles west of Minneapolis in the southwestern part of Kandiyohi County.
According to a statement released by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, residents of homes located within a half mile of the derailment were advised to leave their homes.
Officials stated that as of the middle of the morning, there had been no reports of injuries and that the reason for the derailment remained unknown.
At approximately two in the morning, Christine O’Leary, her boyfriend, and their two children awoke to the sound of someone beating on their door. O’Leary lives three blocks away from the location where the train derailed.
According to O’Leary, 44, who spoke with USA TODAY, “The fireman awakened us up by hammering on the door to escape.” “We witnessed the automobiles catching fire and were able to smell the smoke. It was out of control. There were firetrucks from a wide variety of departments, ranging from 15 to 20 in number and coming from three counties.
O’Leary stated that she and her husband did not go to sleep in the car so that their children may finish their naps. She reported that it seemed like nothing was wrong with her house thus far.
“They started getting it under control fairly soon, and it was really restricted to the cars,” she added. “It was pretty isolated to the automobiles.” “I’m incredibly impressed with how the fire departments responded, and the fact that they organized themselves so swiftly,”
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, USA TODAY was unable to get in touch with the fire department or the sheriff’s office.
According to the data provided by BNSF railroad, the main track is blocked, and there is currently no expected time for when the line will reopen.
The train was carrying ethanol and corn syrup to Minnesota
According to Lena Kent, general director of public affairs for BNSF Railway, who spoke with The StarBulletin Team, the train was transporting a variety of different goods, including corn syrup and ethanol.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel that may be produced from maize as well as other types of plant material. The usage of ethanol is extremely common; in fact, more than 98% of gasoline sold in the United States contains some ethanol.
Kent stated that 22 cars carrying the freight were derailed, and at least four of those cars caught fire. Kent also stated that the freight was lost.
Kent stated that railroad personnel was on their way to the scene in order to assist the first responders.
“The main track is blocked and there is no anticipated time for reopening the line,” she stated. “The line will not be reopened.”
According to the reports from the fire department, the collision caused the Minnesota Department of Transportation to close the surrounding section of Highway 23.
Crews are still putting out fires.
As of 6:30 a.m. Central Standard Time, firefighters and investigators were still working together to put out the fire and determine its cause.
In a statement that was made on the page of the fire department’s Facebook account, the officials said that a firefighter’s wife said that several individuals have inquired how they can support first responders and others who were involved in the crash.
“Because the public is unable to reach the City of Raymond, the Unity Church in Prinsburg is happy to serve as a collection point for bottled water and food for the emergency responders who are currently on the scene. These courageous individuals have been toiling away for several hours now, and they still have several more hours of work to complete. We would be grateful for any assistance in the form of bottled water and food that might be provided “the comment stated.
