There was a long screeching sound followed by a series of bangs.
“It was that boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, in rapid succession and then dead silence,” said Dayna Anderson, deputy mayor of Craven, Sask., about 30 kilometres northwest of Regina.
“It was the type of loud noise you feel in your chest, like fireworks. I was shocked that our children slept through it.”
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Anderson was describing a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train that derailed about seven blocks from her home last night south of the village where the rails cross Highway 20.
Twenty-six Canpotx cars loaded with potash went off the tracks. There were no injuries and no public safety concerns, said Salem Woodrow, manager of media relations and community affairs for CP.
She said the railway immediately dispatched crews and resources, who are working to clean up the site, which continues today.
According to media reports, witnesses described seeing a large pile of train cars with spilled potash ash on the ground and pink dust around the damaged cars.
The Craven and Lumsden fire departments responded to the scene, helping to direct traffic before CP officials arrived and took control.
Highway 20 in Craven remains partially blocked, and police at the scene expect it to be reopened later today, although severe cold conditions have been complicating matters, said Anderson.
“With the wind chill it was easily in the minus 30s if not minus 40. It was extremely cold,” she said.
“It’s expected the total cleanup of everything will take probably in excess of a week.”
Another CP derailment happened at 9:15 this morning near Barons, Alta.
Highway 23 remains closed between Township roads 11-4 and 12-0 until further notice.
“It was a mixed freight train and there were no injuries in that one as well. CP has dispatched teams to assess the site,” said Woodrow.
The causes of both incidences are under investigation, she added.
