A burning derailment shut down a highway in southeast Saskatchewan Thursday morning.
An exercise derailed about two miles northwest of Macoun, Sask. , forcing the closure of Highway 39 in some directions, RCMP said.
Photos and videos from the scene show several burning cars creating thick black smoke. Police said the smoke affected visibility in the area.
An emergency alert sent to the citizens of RM Cymri at some time after 2 p. m.
Residents in a 2,200-meter zone around the derailment will be contacted if they wish to evacuate, according to the emergency alert.
The public is asked to go to Highway 39 as it is blocked lately.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will deploy a team of investigators to assemble and evaluate the site.
Estevan resident Amber Mantei and her husband were on Highway 39 in the direction of Regina when they saw smoke coming from the tracks. As they approached, they heard an explosion.
“Just before we were taken to the corner of Route 39 which overlooks Macoun, there was a massive explosion and then all the black smoke,” Mantei said.
A plume of black smoke rises from the derailment of an exercise near Macoun, Saskatchewan. December 1, 2022. (Courtesy of Amber Mantei)
The giant chimney gave the impression of consuming three carriages near the front of the train. Several other wagons had also derailed later on the track.
Mantei said he may feel the heat emanating from the fireplace from inside his vehicle.
“It’s intense,” Mantei said.
(Courtesy of Ámbar Mantei)
The RCMP is asking motorists to approach the area. Detours are organized.
The police were not informed.
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) is on site to investigate the incident, according to RCMP. CP showed that teams responded to the scene, but provided additional details.
Macoun under a state of emergency because some houses were near the site of the derailment, the town said in a Facebook post.
Macoun School went into standby and safe mode after the incident out of an “abundance of caution,” the South East Cornerstone Public Schools Division said in an emailed statement. Classes continued for the rest of the day.
Macoun is approximately 174 kilometers southeast of Regina.