Crews Clear Derailed Train In Ellendale; Repairs Begin

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Crews have finished clearing a derailed train carrying flammable gas in southern Minnesota, allowing repairs on the track to begin.

Union Pacific Railroad announced Saturday that its Hazardous Materials Management Team had removed all of the flammable gas from the two rail cars carrying the gas in Ellendale.

The first car was mostly cleared Friday night. The second car was cleared Saturday morning. Crews used a vent and burn method to remove the gas, which involved releasing the liquid into a contained pit and burning the substance.

Twenty total cars were cleared from the site, but only two contained the flammable gas.

Union Pacific said repairs were beginning and they are working to restore rail service.

The train, headed from St. Paul to Nebraska, derailed around 5:40 a.m. Friday.

Authorities evacuated the town, but around 1 p.m. the evacuation was lifted and residents returned to their homes.

The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.