Breaking news - Casselton ND train carrying oil derails and is on fire

[malaise]

Huge explosion - 100 plus carriages.

From Ed Shultz

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Airborne Toxic Event?

[malaise]

2. Link here - details trickling in

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/277151/14/Massive-explosion-after-train-derails-in-North-Dakota
CASSELTON, N.D. (WZZM/USA TODAY) -- A freight train derailed and caught fire Monday afternoon in North Dakota, filling the sky with black smoke that could be seen for miles.

According to ABC affiliate WDAY-TV in Fargo, one train derailed and was stuck by another. The mayor of Casselton tells ABC News rail cars continue to explode and firefighters will likely let them burn.

So far, there are no reported injuries, however residents within a two-mile radius were warned to stay inside. Smoke could be seen 15 miles away, WDAY reported.

The derailment happened about 2 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET), said City Auditor Sheila Klevgar.

Casselton, population 2,300, is the hometown of the state's current governor, Jack Dalrymple, and four predecessors.

[MADem]

3. A link with a bit of video....UPDATE: Train carrying crude oil derails near Casselton

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/422351/

CASSELTON – The train that derailed about a mile west of town here was eastbound carrying crude oil, according to a BNSF spokeswoman.

Emergency and fire-fighting crews are respond-ing to the derailment, which Amy McBeth, a spokeswoman for BNSF, said occurred at around 2:10 p.m.

McBeth said no crew members on the train were injured during the acci-dent. The train was 106 cars long and headed east-bound, she said.

McBeth said she didn’t know the train’s destination or how many cars derailed......

[GeorgeGist]

4. Picture ...

[TwilightGardener]

5. That's a shame--glad the train crew wasn't injured.

[Agony]

6. A Warren Buffett train wreck

"On November 3, 2009, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway announced it would acquire the remaining 77.4 percent of BNSF it did not already own for $100 per share in cash and stock - a deal valued at $44 billion. The company is investing an estimated $34 billion in BNSF and acquiring $10 billion in debt.[5][6][7][8][9] On February 12, 2010, shareholders of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation voted in favor of the acquisition."

"Safety
As one of the leading supporters of the Operation Lifesaver program to promote safety at railway crossings and rights-of-way, the BNSF Railway, in 2000, established a grade-crossing closure program. This program, in which BNSF works with communities and landowners to identify unnecessary or redundant crossings, has helped close more than 2,900 of BNSF's railway crossings throughout the United States. Due to the program, BNSF has been the industry leader in lowering the number of grade-crossing collisions.
On June 7, 2006, BNSF became the first Class I railroad to recruit railfans to help ensure the company's rail network remains safe. Called the Citizens for Rail Security, BNSF designed a program that encourages railfans to register on an official company website. They can print out a small identification card, containing a list of general safety guidelines for a railfan to follow, as well as a toll-free telephone number to alert a BNSF representative of suspicious activities or potential security breaches. As of April 2010, CRS had more than 9,200 members.
BNSF has had a similar program for employees since 2003. The BNSF On Guard program has been highly successful, with more than 200 employees reporting suspicious activities since its inception.[47]
BNSF also contracts with News Link, a small business in Lincoln, Nebraska, to publish employee newsletters focused on safety for each of the railroad's 14 operating divisions and nearly all of its system shops. These newsletters vary in length from four to 28 pages, published ranging from monthly to quarterly."

[PCIntern]

7. Living near the conflagration is the same as consuming

two bananas a day for three years. Just sayin'...