(The Associated Press distributed the following article on August 10.)
WILLISTON, N.D. – A Burlington Northern Santa Fe train carrying corn has derailed on the outskirts of this city.
Williams County Sheriff Scott Busching said he was not aware of any injuries, but he described the scene as “a mess.”
“The cars are pretty roughed up,” he said. “It looks fairly spectacular.”
Railroad crews were at the site early Tuesday, Busching said.
The wreck happened shortly before 4 a.m., in an open area just southwest of Williston. Busching said he believed 31 cars derailed. He had no immediate estimate on the amount of corn that spilled, or on the damage or the cause of the wreck.
Gus Melonas, a Burlington Northern spokesman in Seattle, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Busching said the derailment did not threaten any buildings or block any roads.
“It’s causing us no problem at all,” he said. “Not a lot of people live out there.”
The tracks also are used by Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which runs between Chicago and Seattle. Busching said the tracks appeared to be damaged and blocked by debris from the wreck.
Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman in Chicago, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.