The incident occurred at 11.48pm Sunday (local time) when 50 train cars derailed in Sylvan Township, west of Pillager, near County Road 101 and the Bigwater Addition Estates.
According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, nobody was harmed during the incident and none of the spillages contained hazardous substances.
Several clean-up crews were witnessed still on the scene at 9am the following morning.
Witnesses recalled seeing piles of coal higher than the train cars and hearing the sound of crashing metal as workers attempted to clear the tracks.
The local sheriff requests that residents stay out of the affected area while crews continued with cleanup efforts for the next several days.
The investigation is ongoing with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and BNSF officials.
