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3/30/2023
Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:30 CDT with new information from BNSF.
An evacuation order issued early this morning after a train derailment occurred in Raymond, Minnesota, has been lifted and residents are being allowed to return to their homes, BNSF Railway Co. officials said this afternoon in a statement.
A BNSF train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed early this morning in Raymond, leading to an evacuation of the area. Twenty-two rail cars derailed. No other hazardous materials were being transported on the train. No injuries occurred because of the derailment.
"Local responders and BNSF personnel are still on-site and continue to work to mitigate the incident. There has been no impact to drinking water and air monitoring conducted over the past several hours indicates no detectable levels of concern," BNSF officials said.
The main track remains blocked and an estimated time for reopening the line is not yet know, they added.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Federal Railroad Administration officials are on the ground, according to a tweet from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to investigate, the agency tweeted.
Raymond is about 106 miles west of Minneapolis. Fire departments from Raymond and nearby communities responded. The evacuation area of a half mile was established around the derailment site, according to a Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office press release.