Minot train derailment

The railway accident in Minot was the derailment of a freight train in Minot, North Dakota, was released in the toxic ammonia in large amount on 18 January 2002. It died a local resident, 11 people were seriously, 322 slightly injured. The effects of the accident were reinforced by a far-reaching failure of emergency management.

Starting position

The route network of the Canadian Pacific Railway reaches far into the northern United States. The accident occurred on the railway line leading through the village of Minot.

The train 292-16 the Canadian Pacific Railway sailed this railway line in the night of 17 on January 18, 2002 in an easterly direction at about 65 km / h It consisted of 112 freight cars and led by, among others, tank wagons, which had ammonia loaded. The temperatures were well below freezing.

Circumstances of the accident

Just a kilometer from the western city limits of Minot derailed against 1:37 clock 31 freight cars of the train in a turnout in a rail fracture had occurred. It also five tank cars were damaged, which had loaded standing ammonia gas under pressure and then exploded. 1100 cubic meters of caustic and poisonous gas came out into the atmosphere. Locomotive engineer and conductor were injured and taken to a hospital.

Follow

One resident died, 11 people were seriously, 322 slightly injured, about 1000 went into medical treatment. The counter and rescue operations were initially characterized by chaos. The engineer had immediately called the local emergency center. The municipal alarm system, however, was - although, as the investigation has been fully operational - off. Other warning systems were turned off or denied, such as sirens. The emergency number collapsed because of the numerous incoming calls and could not be reactivated because the present staff, no one had the authority to intervene in the largely automated system.

All six local radio stations were the only provider Clear Channel Communications. They were, as usual, automatically operated in this early morning hour, without staff. So it was no one on site, which a warning would have been here can pronounce, so that the general public could not be reached. This was later cited as evidence of the threat and impact of media concentration.

It took several hours before any disaster alarm could be triggered. The area around the accident site had to be evacuated a large area. Were affected about 11,600 people. The residents in the rest of the city of Minot were instructed not to leave the building and put wet cloths over the face to ward off the ammonia.

On the morning of 18 January, the ammonia cloud had spread over large parts of the city, but was this also thinner. Approximately 24 hours after the accident, the ammonia had evaporated to the extent that workers were able to penetrate to the scene and begin the cleanup. To sequence elimination was also that ice on the Souris River, which was contaminated with ammonia, had to be removed.

The material damage amounted to the city Minot limited as a result of the accident, the sweep speed of the trains in their city more than $ 10 million.