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Paradise, Mon. (AP) — After 25 trains derailed, powdered clay and cases of beer spilled beside a river in scenic western Montana, allowing several cars to enter a narrow, 100-year-old tunnel with limited access. The crew could face a difficult cleaning task after the car went off the tracks. an official said.
“It’s a terrible place to get in and out of,” said Bill Nageli, manager of the Saunders County Disaster and Emergency Services, of the Clark Fork River derailment. “The biggest problem is that the car derailed in the tunnel,” he said, with little clearance.
The Montana Rail Link said Sunday morning’s derailment did not cause any injuries and no hazardous material was spilled into mountains and rivers.
Seven cars are believed to have derailed in the narrow tunnel, making it difficult to escape, Nageli said.
A train derailed across the river from Queens Hot Springs Resort in Paradise on Sunday, spilling clay and cases, cans and bottles of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer, Missourians reported..
The tanker car carrying butane was lying on its side, but there were no leaks, Nägeli said.
Booms were deployed across the river to secure beer cans and bottles going into the water and to monitor the effects of the diesel after a small amount of fuel spilled onto the ground from two derailed refrigerated trucks, Andy said. A Garland spokesperson said: Montana Rail Link, in a statement on Monday.
“MRL is in communication with local and federal authorities and will work with DEQ to implement necessary site remediation, including removal of affected soil,” Garland said.
Several guest cabins at Quinn’s resort, which sits directly across the river, have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, the Plains Paradise Regional Fire District said in a social media post.
Dennis Moase, the resort’s general manager, told the Missourian newspaper that a front desk employee “heard a loud rumbling crash, then a train derailment.”
Garland said on Sunday it was unclear how long it would take to remove the derailed car and repair the track and rail floor, which were believed to have been damaged when the car slid off the tracks. The employee was working in the area on Monday.
Garland said the derailed areas can only be reached by vehicles on closed tracks or by boat across the river.
Officials say the cause of the derailment is still under investigation.
Federal regulators and members of Congress are asking railroads to do more to prevent derailments Recent fires involving dangerous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota prompted evacuations.
In the United States, railroad accidents, including derailments, are on the decline as train mileage decreases.
But the accident rate per mile is increasing, according to the Federal Railway Administration. The rail union has argued that rail transport has become more risky in recent years following widespread job cuts.
Most railroad accidents involve freight trains, and fatalities involving passenger trains are rare.
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