Evacuated North Dakota Residents to Return Home on Wednesday Evening

The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services Public Information Officer Cecily Fong says that dozens of residents from the US state of North Dakota who were evacuated earlier on Wednesday after a train derailed and caught on fire could return home in the evening.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Dozens of residents from the US state of North Dakota who were evacuated earlier on Wednesday after a train derailed and caught on fire could return home in the evening, the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services Public Information Officer Cecily Fong told Sputnik.

“I don’t have a confirmed timeframe for lifting the evacuation order. That’s the call of the North Dakota Department of Health once that air quality changes, but I’ve heard as early as maybe this evening,” Fong said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, North Dakota authorities issued an evacuation order to ensure the safety of at least 30 residents of Heimdal, North Dakota after a train carrying crude oil derailed and caught on fire.

Fong told Sputnik there have not been any injuries or fatalities in the accident.

The North Dakota’s Highway Patrol and Department of Health are on the ground monitoring the situation, and have blocked off the crash site to allow the fire to burn out, she added.

Fong explained that once the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) completes its investigation into what caused the train crash, North Dakota will be able to take the necessary steps to prevent future accidents from occurring.

The North Dakota oil train derailment comes nearly a week after the US Department of Transportation announced a new set of rules to improve how flammable liquids are transported by rail.