NTSB Releases Details Behind 2015 BNSF Derailment in Heimdal

At least 30 people living in Heimdal were forced from their homes after the six-car derailment in May of 2015

HEIMDAL, N.D. — The NTSB has released what they think caused a 2015 train derailment that caused the evacuation of a small North Dakota town.

Investigators say they found evidence of a broken wheel and a mark on the track that indicates the wheel caused the derailment.

They found pieces of the wheel at the scene and say workers had previously fixed another defective wheel on the train two days before the derailment.

At least 30 people living in Heimdal were forced from their homes after the six-car derailment in May of 2015.

Nearly 100,000 gallons of oil was spilled and the derailment caused about $5 million in damages.