IRVINE, Alberta — Residents near the community of Irvine were evacuated Friday, and a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway was closed, as the result of a Canadian Pacific derailment.
The derailment of about 20 cars near the community of 300, about 22 miles (35 kilometers) east of Medicine Hat, Alta., occurred about 3:20 p.m., the CBC reports. Two cars of styrene experienced small leaks from their top valves, CP said in a statement. That led to the evacuation of an area of more than 4 miles around the site. Styrene is a highly flammable and toxic liquid used in plastic production. It can react with water, so emergency crews used foam to extinguish a fire at the derailment site.
The evacuation order was lifted about 11 p.m. Cleanup was expected to continue through the weekend. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada were on the scene as of Saturday, working to determine the cause of the derailment.
PSR casualties