COOK, Minn. — Cleanup is underway following a train derailment Monday night in northern Minnesota.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says deputies and first responders from the Cook Fire Department were dispatched just before 8:30 p.m. after reports that a Canadian National Train went off the tracks in a remote area near Field Township, just six miles north of Cook.
Responding deputies learned that a total of nine cars had derailed with five of them found laying on their sides. Sheriff's officials say two of those cars were carrying hazardous material in the form of liquified petroleum gas (propane and butane). No leaks or spills were immediately apparent.
The sheriff's office says the public is not in danger as the incident occurred in a non-residential area.
Crews from St. Louis County Emergency Management are on scene Tuesday to help with cleanup and containment while investigators determine the cause of the derailment.
Canadian National Railway did not immediately respond Tuesday morning to an Associated Press request seeking comment on potential reasons for the derailment or when the line would reopen to rail traffic.
The Cook derailment comes less than two months after a Canadian Pacific Kansas City train derailed in the northwest corner of Minnesota near the Canadian border. In that May 31 incident, 24 cars went off the tracks, but there were no reported spills or injuries.
Railroad safety has been a concern nationwide after several derailments in recent months, including a fiery February train wreck near East Palestine, Ohio. Congress is considering several new safety requirements for freight railroads, which have already committed to making some changes in their operations. Federal regulators have also urged railroads to take additional precautions to prevent derailments.
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