Minnesota Town Evacuated After Union Pacific Train Derailment

People who live in the city of Ellendale, Minnesota, are allowed back in their homes after a train derailment evacuated the city early this morning.

City officials say a number of cars went off the tracks around 5:45am with at least one of the cars carrying propane.

The derailment caused businesses, roads and schools to close, as well as the airspace around the city.

While people are allowed to return to the city, a 400 foot hot zone remains around the derailment site that is closed to the public.

Witnesses say while they heard the derailment happen, they didn’t think anything bad had actually happened.

“We heard something like a screech, like something breaking, but since the train goes by so close and we hear it all the time, like three or four times a night, we didn’t nothing anything of it, ’til the railings, the safety arms, they just stayed down, they wouldn’t come back up,” said one witness.

There have been no injuries reported.

A HazMat crew remains on the scene to check for any other leaks.

The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

More than 700 people live in Ellendale, which is about 80 miles south of the Twin Cities.