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'No danger to the public' after train derails in Northeast Oklahoma

An orange and black BNSF train engine
Jose Uribe
/
Pexels
Two cars from a BNSF train like this one derailed in Verdigris.

A tanker car ran off the rails in Verdigris, a small town just northeast of Tulsa. The minor derailment didn’t result in any injuries or harmful spills.

Verdigris resident Jake Powell captured the incident on video, which his wife posted to Facebook on Tuesday night.

The video shows a tanker car separating from the car in front of it. The car’s wheels appear to catch as the train reaches a street crossing. The tanker car runs off the tracks and comes to a stop.

Powell said he started filming because he noticed the train was having trouble.

“The cars started bouncing, and you could hear it, and it was sparking,” Powell said.

Verdigris Fire District cleared the scene and says there is no danger to the public at this time. BNSF, which operates the railroad, said the derailed cars were empty, and no hazardous materials were involved. The company reopened the crossing later Tuesday night and said it’s investigating what caused the incident.

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals near East Palestine, Ohio in early February 2023 haslocal residents worried about their air and water quality. The derailment has shone a spotlight on railway safety.

Graycen Wheeler is a reporter covering water issues at KOSU as a corps member with Report for America.
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