Clean-up Continues On Derailment

By Robert Thomas

It was an early morning Wednesday for an unspecified number of South Hill residents as they were temporarily evacuated from their homes following a train derailment in the CP Rail yards.

Nobody was injured in the incident and it unknown what the cost is in damaged equipment and spilled rail cars to CP Rail.

Crews were out cleaning up after the incident and into early Thursday morning. Vac trucks and backhoes were at work in a well lit zone (see photos below).

Crews were out ckeaning up the derailment at 1:45 am - MJ Independent photo

According to residents they were awakened just after 6 pm and asked to leave their homes.

Residents within an 800 metre radius of the incident were evacuated from their homes as a precautionary measure.

There was a small fire extinguished by the Moose Jaw Fire Department.

After an unknown number of rail cars were moved safely from the area the emergency situation was over and residents were allowed to return home about 7:15 am.

Additionally the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) temporarily cordoned off the area to traffic.

Access to the roadway on the north side Hamilton Flats was also blocked barricades.

CP Rail is not releasing the contents of the rail cars which caused concern and the evacuation.

Crews busy work on the cleanup early Thursday morning - MJ Independent photo

Although he could comment directly as to the exact cause of the accudent tMoose Jaw fire chief Rod Montgomery the accident involved “a remote train and it crashed into another one.”

The fire was a result of diesel fuel which leaked from the locomotive involved Chief Montgomery said.

“The locomotive itself from the crash was leaking diesel fuel and it caught fire…the locomotive does carry a lot of diesel and you have got to be careful with a hazardous fire.”

When the Moose Jaw Fire Department arrived approximately 5:30 am one the first things they had to do was spray down a tanker carrying hazardous goods and keep it cool until it was moved out of the area.

It is unknown when the cleanup will be completed.

Despite the derailment the CPR yards continues its operations on other tracks.