Crews cleaning up after 2nd train derailment near Pemberton in less than a year

Cleanup efforts are well underway and the B.C. government has confirmed there were no dangerous goods on board the train that derailed near Pemberton.

CN Rail said the train went off the tracks around 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday about 25 kilometres north of Pemberton, adding the 11 southbound box cars involved in the incident were carrying wood pulp.

This happened in the same area where another train plunged into Gates lake last September.

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READ MORE: Train cars derail into Gates Lake near Pemberton

Lauren Phare, who said she lives right on the lake, said when she got outside after hearing a loud noise, she saw two cars in the water, sparking immediate concerns about whether the material inside the cars was hazardous.

Even with the province confirming that’s not the case, Phare said she’s still concerned because this is the second incident in 10 months.

“The first time it happened, it wasn’t that big a deal, we were like ‘oh it’s a one off thing it’s never going to happen again’,” Phare said, adding, “now it has happened again so we’re worried what if next time it is something poisonous or it is something like that that goes into the lake.”

Phare said her family, along with some neighbours, hopped into their boats to move one of the trains that had floated to the middle of the lake.

“We pushed the train ashore to sort of tie it up to the shore so that it didn’t float and sink in the middle of the lake,” she said.

Photos from Lauren Phare:

CN Rail said the second car wasn’t fully submerged, adding the rest of the cars are on the railway embankment.

There were no injuries, no danger to the public or the environment, according to CN, which said crews were expected to work overnight and into Thursday to clean up.

The cause is still under investigation.