MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A freight train carrying crude oil has derailed in a rural area in the US state of Illinois, some cars have caught fire and a voluntary evacuation has been announced within one mile of the accident, the BNSF Railway network has said in a statement.
"A BNSF Railway train originating from North Dakota derailed at approximately 1:20 pm CST [19:20 GMT] in a rural area south of Galena, IL. There are no injuries reported. The train consists of 105 loaded cars, which includes 103 cars loaded with crude oil and 2 buffer cars loaded with sand," the statement, released on Thursday evening, said.
FRA said in a press release that it was aware of the crude oil train derailment in Illinois, adding that the derailed train was on fire.
"Once the scene is contained and secured, we will be conducting a thorough investigation to determine the probable cause of the derailment," FRA said.
BNSF said it was "grateful" for the efforts of the responders to the incident and was ready to assist local residents who would wish to get relocated.
"Local officials have announced a voluntary evacuation of an area that is within one mile of the incident. We are grateful for the efforts of the first responders at this incident and sincerely regret the inconvenience this event has caused to the community," BNSF said.
The railway network added that it is taking precautionary measures to protect local waterways from any potential oil spills and will also be conducting air quality monitoring.
