Train Derails in Minnesota Spilling Ethanol and Forcing Evacuations

Another train carrying dangerous chemicals has derailed, this time in Minnesota. Near the city of Raymond, which is around 110

train derails Minnesota

Another train carrying dangerous chemicals has derailed, this time in Minnesota.

Near the city of Raymond, which is around 110 miles west of Minneapolis, a train derailed around 1AM Thursday.

The train was carrying ethanol and corn syrup, which caught fire after the train slid off the tracks.

Evacuations were ordered for homes within a half-mile of the site of the derailment.

CNN reports, “‘There have been no injuries as a result of the crash or emergency response,’ the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook. ‘BNSF specialists are on scene and continued mitigation is occurring.’

Brittney Phelps and her family were startled by a knock on their door at 1:30 a.m. It was a first responder going door to door telling residents to flee as a precaution.

‘I heard a loud crash but didn’t think anything of it ‘til ambulances were outside the house,’ Phelps said.

She soon smelled the stench of ethanol and saw the wrecked train cars and large fire, Phelps told CNN.”

See: CONGRESS BLASTED FOR FOCUSING ON TIKTOK WHILE 1.5M PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS SCRAMBLE FOR BOTTLED WATER IN WAKE OF CHEMICAL SPILL

The Raymond Fire Department wrote on Facebook early Thursday, “These brave souls have been working hard for hours already, and have several hours of work ahead for them.”

They later added, “We are still working with our public safety partners at the local, state, and federal level to determine when families can return to their homes. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the volunteer fire and EMS departments for their assistance thus far and to everyone else who has transported, sheltered and fed those folks displaced from their homes.”

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The newest derailment comes nearly two months after another train derailed in Ohio, spilling toxic chemicals and drawing attention to the inadequate safety standards for transporting hazardous materials by railway. And it comes days after a plant spilled chemicals into the Delaware River, putting drinking water at risk for 1.5 million residents in Philadelphia. The back to back environmental disasters are causing experts and advocates to renew calls for Congress to pay attention and take action.

This is a developing story. 
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