CARRINGTON, N.D. – A freight train hauling flammable anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol derailed on a soggy railbed and exploded into flames. The village of Bourdulac, population 20, was evacuated. So were nearby farms. The derailment was about 3:45 a.m. The train’s conductor and engineer in the lead locomotive jumped to safety and ran. There were no injuries, said Andrew Kirking, the county emergency manager. Wind swept fumes and smoke upward and away. Emergency crews set up a command post across a bog half a mile from the tracks. In all 29 tanker cars derailed. It could take a day, maybe more, for the derailed cars to burn out, Kirking said. The train was about 80 cars on the 210-mile Canadian Pacific line from Minot to Valley City. The line connects Manitoba and Minneapolis with connections south through Winona and points east and south. The initial CP statement about the accident failed to cite train’s origin and destination. The derailment was 10 miles south of Carrington in central North Dakota. Access to the burning cars was difficult because of soggy ground between a road and the tracks. An emergency road needed to be laid for heavy equipment to reach the site, Kirking said. Removing the derailed cars could take a week or more, he said.
Environmental issue. Kirking was hopeful that the spill would be contained around the single tract track line and not seep into ground water. Image: Doug Zink
Risky cargo
Anhydrous ammonia is a gas widely used as a nitrogen-based fertilizer. It can trigger explosions and be extremely dangerous in high quantities,. Exposure to high concentrations in the air can cause burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract. Blindness, lung damage and death can result. Exposure to lesser amounts can result in coughing and nose and throat irritation.