After 2018 Northern Manitoba train derailment, inquest called into death of conductor

Manitoba’s chief medical examiner has called an inquest into the death of the conductor of a train that derailed after going over a washed-out bridge in a remote area of Northern Manitoba.

Kevin Anderson of The Pas died at the scene of the derailment, roughly 545 km northwest of Winnipeg on the Hudson Bay Rail line near Ponton, Man., Sept. 16, 2018.

The cause of Anderson’s death was multiple blunt force injuries due to the train derailment.

Another train worker also trapped in the train was critically injured in the crash.

In a release Wednesday the province said the inquest has been called to determine the co-ordination of a multi-agency response to the accident, including police, paramedics and other first responders.

Anderson and the other railway worker were trapped inside the train for hours after the derailment, first responders said at the time of the crash.

3:25 Aerial view of Manitoba spill from derailed tanker cars

The train was carrying cargo including gasoline, liquid propane gas and butane, and while none of that spilled or leaked, some fuel from one of the locomotives leaked into the Metishto River.

A Transportation Safety Board investigator previously said beavers may have contributed to the train derailment.

Jerry Berriault, the board’s regional senior investigator, told The Canadian Press that the train had been travelling around 40 km/h when it met with the washed-out piece of track.

Berriault, who was on site west of Ponton for two days investigating, said there was high water in the area and signs of beaver activity.

— With files from The Canadian Press