Residents of the small southern Alberta community of Swalwell were allowed back into their homes on Tuesday afternoon, after being evacuated nearly 24 hours earlier.
A local state of emergency was declared for the MD of Kneehill County after a train derailment on Monday afternoon, which happened after a propane truck collided with the train.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Deanna Fontaine said there were no injuries and the train wasn’t carrying any dangerous goods, but the area was evacuated after fuel spilled from the truck.
Fontaine said the radius was set up due to concerns about fumes from the propane.
According to Kneehill County’s website, crews worked overnight to remove the train, which was cleared from the scene by 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to the county, 58 homes in Swalwell and the surrounding area were evacuated.
By 2:30 p.m., Kneehill County said Swalwell was “safe for re-entry.”
“Crews have been performing field test screenings of the air quality throughout the day, and levels remain at zero,” the county said.
“Routes are in place for residents to follow back to the hamlet.”
Alberta Emergency Alert, which issued the evacuation notice on Monday afternoon, also showed the alert was cancelled as of 3:19 p.m. on Tuesday.
Stay updated by checking the Kneehill County website.
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