WYNDMERE, N.D. — A Canadian Pacific train derailed in rural North Dakota Sunday night and spilled hazardous materials, but local authorities and the railroad said there is no threat to public safety.
There were no injuries and no fire associated with the derailment, which occurred in a rural area outside Wyndmere, a town of several hundred people about 60 miles southwest of Fargo.
Canadian Pacific spokesperson Andy Cummings said 31 of the 70 cars on the train left the tracks around 11:15 p.m. Sunday, and some of the cars leaked liquid asphalt. But there are no waterways near where the derailment happened.
The railroad's hazardous materials experts are working with local first responders to clean up the spill. Several roads in the area were shut down.
"No injuries have been reported. There is no fire. There are no waterways nearby and there are no evacuations. There is no threat to public safety," read a statement from Canadian Pacific VP of Communications Patrick Waldron. "The safety of crews, first responders and the public remains our highest priority. Our hazardous materials experts are continuing a full assessment of the incident in coordination with local first responders."
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the derailment or exactly how much liquid asphalt spilled.
Railroad safety has been in the spotlight nationally ever since last month's fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near East Palestine, Ohio. Roughly half of that town of about 5,000 people near the Pennsylvania border had to be evacuated after officials decided to release and burn toxic chemicals.
Federal regulators and members of Congress have proposed reforms they want railroads to make to prevent future derailments.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: