Skip to main content

Highway reopens following fiery train derailment in southern Sask.

Share

Highway 39 has reopened following a fiery train derailment in southeastern Saskatchewan.

According to the Highway Hotline, the incident was cleared just after 4 a.m. on Saturday.

On Thursday morning just after 9 a.m., a CP train derailed approximately two kilometres northwest of Macoun, Sask., forcing the closure of Highway 39 in both directions.

Late Friday morning, the village of Macoun’s chief administration officer Carmen Dodd-Vicary said the highway was still closed.

She said a fire was still actively burning, but officials worked overnight to reduce the blaze.

Dodd-Vicary said rail traffic was passing through the area on Friday.

On Thursday, four homes in the village near the tracks were evacuated for safety reasons. Dodd-Vicary said those families have since returned home.

She added more homes in the nearby RM of Cymri were also evacuated.

The village noticed a significant increase in people around due to the presence of emergency responders.

“But around town it’s business as usual,” Dodd-Vicary said.

In an emailed update, Canadian Pacific said its hazardous materials team was working with local emergency crews to clean up the railcars involved in the derailment.

Repairs to the railway tracks were completed on Friday morning and train movements resumed soon afterward.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is currently investigating the incident.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks

Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.

Stay Connected