No injuries were reported after a CPKC train derailed east of Brooks on Monday. Seventeen cars carrying 34 metal shipping containers derailed from the tracks around 4:40 p.m.--TWITTER PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
An investigation is underway following a CPKC train derailing east of Brooks near an industrial area Tuesday afternoon.
RCMP say they received the call around 4:40 p.m. along with fire crews who responded after 17 cars derailed from the track damaging 34 metal seacans used for shipping.
No injuries were reported. RCMP say some of the large metal shipping containers contained hazardous materials, however none were damaged severe enough to spill.
“No cars were damaged to the point where there was any kind of environmental hazard present,” says Corp. Joe Schmidt.
RCMP say they contained the scene until 7:30 p.m. when CPKC police and maintenance crews arrived, who are currently still investigating the derailment and clearing the scene as of Tuesday afternoon.
Schmidt told the News the location of the train derailment fortunately limited impact to the city and traffic flow.
“If it had to happen anywhere it was a good thing that happened where it did because it’s kind of just like a junction on the outside of the industrial parks,” explains Schmidt.
Mayor John Petrie told the News he is relieved the derailment caused no injuries and occurred away from a populated area of town.
“One of the biggest concerns that we have of course, is because it’s going right to the middle of town are different than what the rail lines go through in Medicine Hat,” says Petrie. “My main two concerns were making sure that nobody on CPKC was hurt, and that we didn’t have to evacuate the community, that nobody was in danger at all.”
Petrie confirms there are no concerns about any dangerous chemical spilling from the wreckage that could be harmful to residents.
Nearly 30 trains travel through Brooks every day. Petrie says the accident highlights the importance of training protocols practised by first responders and town officials.
“For the most part, almost 100% of the time, we have no problem. Our fire department, we’re always studying safety and things like that and a lot of times, ironically, when we do simulations it’s a train derailment,” says Petrie. “And so we have to sort of brush up on that to make sure there’s a communication from CPKC, to the fire department, to the city, to the residents.”
Petrie said he did receive a call from the premier and local MLA Monday evening sharing her concern.
The News reached out for comment from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada as well as Canadian Pacific Kansas City but did not receive a response before press time.
