Comments | Gainford AB, October 19-22, 2013. A local state of emergency was declared when a freight train derailed and caught fire near the village of Gainsford, west of Edmonton. A total of 13 cars were derailed threatening the safety of nearby residents. Out of the 13 derailed tankers cars, four cars were carrying crude oil and nine were carrying liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Each tanker car carrying LPG stored a payload of 130,000 litres. Fire fighters used vent-and-burn technics to put out the flames and prevented further explosions from happening. About 120 residents in Gainsford were evacuated as a precaution. On October 22, all fires were extinguished and residents were allowed to return to their homes. No injuries or fatalities were reported. |