Montana train derailment causes consumer product spill, no injuries
BNSF Railway says that the cause of the derailment is being investigated
A CSX freight train derailed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania early Monday. (WPVI)
A train wreck in Montana miraculously resulted in no injuries Friday afternoon, despite derailing 11 train cars, officials say.
The derailment happened on BNSF Railway tracks at 5:39 p.m. local time near the Milk River, east of the town of Havre.
BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent told the Associated Press that 11 cars derailed. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
The line was later reopened to service Saturday amid cleanup efforts. One of the cars that derailed had been carrying paint thinner, but did not spill.
2 AMTRAK TRAIN CARS DERAIL AT DC'S UNION STATION
In this photo provided by Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services, a railroad worker stands among derailed freight cars from a BNSF Railway train that derailed east of Havre, Montana on Friday, July 21, 2023. (Amanda Frickel/Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services via AP / AP Images)
The cars that had spilled were carrying consumer goods such as napkins, cake mix and carrots.
The derailment comes as railways, which are mostly self-regulating, are increasingly scrutinized by unions and lawmakers over safety and environmental concerns.
TRAIN DERAILS INTO MONTANA'S YELLOWSTONE RIVER
In this photo provided by Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services, freight cars from a BNSF Railway train are derailed east of Havre, Mont., Friday, July 21, 2023. (Amanda Frickel/Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services via AP / AP Images)
An Amtrak derailment that occurred 50 miles west of Friday's crash site had killed three people and injured dozens of others in 2021. The BNSF track where the train derailed had been curved, investigators determined.
In June, a railroad bridge in southern Montana collapsed and sent oil product-carrying cars into the Yellowstone River. 66 tons of tar polluted the river.
With 32,500 miles of rail, BNSF operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, according to the company's website.
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Local officials said 11 cars derailed but no one was injured. The cause is under investigation. (Amanda Frickel/Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services via AP / AP Newsroom)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.