Follow Canada Immigration and Canada News: Canadian National Railway confirmed on October 19 local time that a freight train fully loaded with crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) derailed unexpectedly near a village 80 kilometers west of Edmonton, Canada. Three oil tankers leaked and caught fire after an explosion, but fortunately, no one was injured.
A state of emergency was declared locally, and more than 100 residents were evacuated. Due to the intensity of the fire, firefighters decided to retreat temporarily and wait for the blaze to burn out. Currently, roads at the scene remain restricted.
The train departed from Edmonton and was bound for Vancouver. It consisted of 13 cars, including 4 loaded with crude oil and 9 loaded with liquefied petroleum gas.
Witnesses reported hearing a massive explosion around 1:00 AM. One evacuated resident stated that he heard a series of crashes followed by a huge fireball shooting into the sky. Because the fireball was so large, it covered both lanes of the nearby highway, leading to the closure of the entire road. Residents living on nearby farms said they were awakened by the loud noise in their sleep. Upon learning that the train had derailed and exploded and that they had to evacuate, they rushed to herd their livestock into enclosures before leaving. Nearby residents were awakened by firefighters around 3:00 AM and evacuated to a hotel a 20-minute drive away.
A local government spokesperson pointed out that the derailed train continued to leak liquefied petroleum gas, posing a constant risk of explosion. For safety reasons, it was necessary to secure the scene as quickly as possible and evacuate the public as far away as possible.
Officials stated that another explosion occurred at 9:00 AM on the 19th. It is reported that emergency services had originally allowed nearby residents to return home accompanied by firefighters to retrieve medicine and pets, but after the second explosion, everyone returned to the shelter center.
Firefighters in charge of the scene stated at a press conference that the fire site is currently in an extremely unstable state, so they will withdraw from the scene and wait for the fire to extinguish itself. It is estimated that the fire will burn for at least 24 hours, and evacuated residents will have to wait at least 72 hours before they can return home.
Currently, the scene is off-limits to personnel, and even the media have been asked to remain at least 20 kilometers away.
Train derailments have occurred frequently in Canada recently. In July of this year, an oil train derailment and explosion occurred in the Canadian province of Quebec, resulting in 47 deaths. Railway safety has therefore received significant attention.
Greenpeace Canada issued a warning after this train accident, stating that unless the government strengthens safety regulations, such disasters will sooner or later happen again given the industry's outdated safety standards. The organization noted that the federal government has taken some measures since the major oil train derailment and explosion in Quebec in July, but these are still insufficient to reduce risks. They are calling for a comprehensive review of oil transportation safety regulations.
Federal Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt stated in a press release that the government has spent over $100 million to improve railway safety and increase fines to penalize companies that violate safety rules.