Emergency responders are evacuating a small community in southeastern Minnesota following a train derailment Friday morning.
The derailment involves a Union Pacific train traveling from South St. Paul to North Platte, Nebraska that went off the tracks near the town of Ellendale around 5:45 a.m. Four cars are involved in the derailment, one of which was carrying Liquid Petroleum Gas, which is highly flammable. Aerial video from SKY 11 shows gas spewing into the air from the pierced tanker.
A spokesperson for Union Pacific says there were no injuries to the crew or the public. Investigators are en route to determine what caused the derailment.
Union Pacific and Ellendale Fire Department hazmat teams are on the scene, and the town of Ellendale is being evacuated with residents asked to go to Ellendale United Methodist Church. Highway 30 into town has been shut down west of Interstate 35. Until it is reopened traffic is asked to detour using exit 32 and Steele County Road 14.
School has also been canceled for the day at all buildings in the NRHEG Public Schools because the derailment response has blocked all access to the elementary building.
KARE 11 has a crew en route to Ellendale, which is about a half-hour southwest of Owatonna.