Teams Sent to Investigate North Dakota Derailment
Ten rail cars carrying crude oil ignited after the May 6 derailment near Heimdahl, N.D. Firefighters were allowing the last four burning cars to burn out later in the day.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration dispatched investigative teams to the town of Heimdahl, N.D., May 6 after a BNSF train hauling crude oil derailed nearby, with 10 rail cars igniting as a result. Four cars were still burning by afternoon as firefighters monitored them, allowing the fires to burn themselves out, the Bismarck Tribune reported, adding that the railroad reported no injuries or fatalities occurred as a result.
The town, with a population of 40 people, according to the Tribune, was evacuated. FRA announced it had deployed a 10-person investigative team to the site to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. "Today's incident is yet another reminder of why we issued a significant, comprehensive rule aimed at improving the safe transport of high hazard flammable liquids. The FRA will continue to look at all options available to us to improve safety and mitigate risks," the agency's statement said.
NTSB also announced via its Twitter account that it has sent railroad investigators to investigate the derailment.