FRAZEE, Minn. — Clean-up is under way after a BNSF train derailed and hit a second train on an adjacent track Thursday morning near Frazee.
BNSF said in a statement the accident occurred about 9 a.m. No injuries were reported. Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander told KVRR-TV that the second train appeared to have been stopped at the time of the accident. Photographs show intermodal and manifest freight equipment derailed.
The Detroit Lakes Tribune reports that residents near the accident scene were evacuated as a precautionary measure while authorities assessed the contents of the derailed cars to determine if any hazardous materials were involved. As of midday Thursday, there was no timetable for those residents to return to their homes.
Cause of the incident is under investigation. The railroad reports it is working as quickly and safely as possible to reopen the line and restore service.
Frazee is 10 miles southeast of Detroit Lakes, Minn., on BNSF’s Staples Subdivision. It is approximately 50 miles east of Fargo, N.D., and about 165 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
— Updated at 6:20 p.m. CST with information about evacuation of residents.
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