2015 Galena train derailment

Galena train derailment
Date 6 March, 2015
Location Galena, Illinois
Country United States
Rail line BNSF Railway
Statistics
Damage 21 rail cars and crude oil contained within burned

The 2015 Galena train derailment was a derailment of a BNSF Railway oil train in a rural area near Galena, Illinois, which occurred on March 6, 2015.

Accident

Twenty-one of the 105 tank cars, containing Bakken formation crude oil from North Dakota, left the track during the derailment. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident.[1] The derailment occurred near Galena, Illinois, along the Galena River, near the rivers confluence with the Mississippi River. Health officials warned of "imminent" contamination of these rivers, but tests have not found oil pollution in them.[2]

The accident occurred in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, near the state border of Wisconsin. Of the 21 rail cars that derailed, 5 caught fire, and burned for over 2 full days after the accident.[3] Immediately following the accident, local authorities initiated a voluntary evacuation of communities in the immediate area.[4]

References

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