(Photo : ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP)
Authorities said that the derailed train, which caught fire, was carrying ethanol, prompting the evacuation of over 100 residents.
Authorities in Minnesota evacuated people after a train carrying corn syrup and ethanol crashed and went up in flames early Thursday.
Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson said in a statement that the BNSF train derailed at 1 a.m. near the town of Raymond, some 100 miles west of Minneapolis.
A total of 22 cars derailed, with four catching fire, according to a statement released by BNSF, although there were no casualties.
BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent said the main track remains "blocked," and an anticipated time for restarting the line is not known, per CBS News. "The cause of the incident is under investigation," she added.
According to Tollefson, residents were told to leave their homes within a half-mile radius of the incident.
A shelter was established at a local school, and individuals were anticipated to be relocated to a church later during the day so the school could continue operating as usual. About 150 individuals spent the night in the shelter. Red Cross volunteers were helping out.
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Minnesota Train Accident Raises Health Concerns Among Residents
Concerns regarding long-term health effects stem from the decision to discharge and burn dangerous chemicals to avert a tank vehicle explosion in a community of around 5,000 people.
There have been no detectable quantities of dangerous substances in the air or water, according to state and federal regulators, but people are still worried.
Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary, told CNN that 14 vehicles were transporting potentially dangerous goods. The only potentially harmful substance was ethanol, per the BNSF, per AP News.
The accident in Minnesota is the most recent in a spate of derailments that have occurred in the United States over the previous two months.
Trains have crashed in Florida, West Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, Nebraska, and Arizona after a horrific accident in Ohio on February 3.
Recent events include a March 16 train derailment in Washington state that released diesel gasoline onto tribal grounds near Puget Sound, according to USA Today.
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