RAYMOND, Minnesota — Residents near Raymond, Minnesota were cleared to return to their homes just before noon following a train derailment early Thursday morning.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office said road detours will likely still be in place around the site of the derailment, which happened around 1 a.m. on the western edge of the city.
According to BNSF Railways, the train that derailed had about 22 cars. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said eight cars were "directly involved" in the derailment: four carrying corn syrup and four containing ethanol. The cars carrying ethanol caught fire, but no injuries have been reported.
Field personnel with the train company are responding to the site and "working closely with local first responders." Officials say the main track is blocked with no timetable of when it may reopen.
The Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement that crews were on the scene to monitor the air quality at and around the site, as well as in the community. "EPA’s number one priority is – and will always be – the health and safety of communities," the agency told CNN. The sheriff's office added that there is no impact to the groundwater in the area as a result of the accident.