A derailed train has leaked octane and closed an Alberta highway frequently used as an alternative route between Calgary and Lethbridge.
A derailed Canadian Pacific Railway train, leaking octane, has forced the evacuation of several communities and closed an Alberta highway frequently used as an alternative route between Calgary and Lethbridge.
The train left the tracks around at 7:40 a.m. MT Monday south of the village of Barons, Alta., railway spokesperson Salem Woodrow said by email. Barons is roughly 30 kilometres north of Lethbridge.
CP Rail has deployed teams to the site, she said.
Several rail cars are leaking octane, which is flammable, a statement from Lethbridge County said.
The county had issued a critical alert by 10:50 a.m. MT that included an evacuation order for communities between:
- Highway 23 west to Range Road 23-5.
- Highway 23 east to Range Road 23-2.
- Township Road 12-2 south to Township Road 11-4.
- Keho Lake area and the Keho Lake campground and golf course.
Officials ask anyone in those areas to leave immediately.
Highway 23 is closed in both directions from Township Road 11-4 to Township Road 12-2, the county said in an update.
Firefighters are on scene to contain the leak, and the local government has asked Albertans to stay away from the site for their own safety.
The derailment was first announced by 511 Alberta shortly after 10 a.m. MT, and warned of traffic delays in the area due to the road closure. Traffic is being rerouted westbound.
Jim Striemer, manager of the Keho Lake campground and golf course, said he told upwards of 300 golfers and campers to evacuate.
“I told everybody there was an emergency. Everybody has to leave,” he said.
RCMP helped him knock on the doors of more than 100 trailer doors. Many of the campers are snowbirds who make Keho Lake their permanent home in the summer, Striemer said, making the evacuation all the more inconvenient.
“It’s not good for business, that’s for sure,” he said.
Lethbridge County is holding a press conference early Monday afternoon to release more information about the derailment and spill.
