Watch above: A CN train derailed Friday morning about 10 kilometres east of Whitecourt. Vinesh Pratap has the details.
EDMONTON – Emergency crews were called into action this morning after a train derailed northwest of Edmonton early Friday morning.
Five rail cars carrying crude oil and forest products derailed around 5 a.m., in an area inaccessible by vehicle.
The train was slowly headed south when the cars left the tracks about 10 kilometres east of Whitecourt, according to CN spokesperson Emily Hamer.
She said two of the cars contained crude oil. Initially, a seepage was reported from the valve of one car, and CN first said that it was quickly contained. However, Hamer later confirmed that “both cars are secure and that there are no leaks at all.”
CN says the three other cars involved in the derailment contained paper and forest products.
No one was injured during the incident, the cause of which is still under investigation.
Jim Rennie, the mayor of Woodlands County, seems pleased with the company’s reposnse to Friday’s incident.
“It was also good to see our partners at CN were the first ones to contact us with an update. So, their emergency preparedness plan, that they’ve been telling us for years, it really does work.”
The president of CN was in Edmonton at the end of May, and said then that the company has a strong emergency response plan and is working closely with communities when it comes to emergency planning and safety practices.
Whitecourt is about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
Comments