At least 10 Union Pacific train cars, one of which was filled with flammable materials, went off the tracks early Friday morning outside the southern Minnesota town, prompting a precautionary evacuation in the area, according to local media reports.
A Union Pacific train derailed near the southern Minnesota town of Ellendale early Friday morning, according to local media reports.
At least 10 of the UP train’s 146 cars, one of which were filled with flammable liquid petroleum gas, went off the tracks around 5:45 a.m. local time, prompting a precautionary evacuation of a 1-mile radius surrounding the crash area. The train was en route from South St. Paul, Minn. to North Platte, Neb.
Aerial video footage from KARE-11 TV news showed what appeared to be gas shooting out into the air from a punctured tank car.
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office gave the “all clear” signal Friday afternoon for residents to return to their homes and businesses following an initial investigation, but state authorities are continuing to keep a 400-foot radius around the site blocked off while investigators assess the damage and any potential hazards to the public and environment.
A UP spokesperson told reporters there were no injuries reported from the incident.
State and federal investigators have been dispatched to investigate the cause of the derailment.
UP train derails near Ellendale, Minn.
