Galena Train Derailment - About eight cars filled with crude oil swerved off the tracks in the south of Galena, Illinois, and two of them burst into flames after the BNSF Railway train derailed around 1:20 pm Thursday in a rural area where the Galena River meets Mississippi.
"The report that came back to me from them is that eight tanker cars had left the track," Galena City Administrator Mark Moran said. "Two of these were still upright, the other six were not. They observed at least one of those tankers smoking."
As at Friday, the fire continued to burn, fortunately no injuries have been recorded. However, officials say the rail cars that burst into flames were furnished with the newest protective shields in compliance with a higher safety standard than federal law requires.
BNSF Railway says the train's tanks were new models known as the 1232. They were designed four years ago during a safety upgrades operation voluntarily undertaken by the industry.
The 1232 standard cars were specifically designed to keep cars from busting during derailments. However, the models have not done so well in the face of accidents. Last year, in three derailments, they burst open.
"It certainly begs that question when...these standards failed to prevent leakage and explosions that threaten human safety and environmental contamination," said Steve Barg, director of the Jo Daviess Conversation Foundation, owners of a nature preserve hundreds of yards away from the derailment scene.
According to reports, the train derailment involved 21 of the train's 105 cars. This is a cause of worry as the fire could spread to five rail cars. Authorities say firefighter would only be able to reach the derailment site via a bike path.
However, emergency personnel were still trying to contain the fire, which has been described as "stable".
The train had 103 cars filled with crude oil from the Northern Plains' Bakke region. Two buffer cars filled with sand were also aboard.
The cause of the Galena train derailment is presently not known. The accident is under investigation.
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