(Newswire.net — June 27, 2013) Calgary, AB — A train carrying petroleum fuel has derailed on Bonnybrook Bridge in Calgary on Thursday at approximately 3:30 a.m. Bonnybook Bridge crosses the swollen Bow River. The bridge is about 7.5 meters above the water with six cars in peril of falling into the river.
Calgary Deputy Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc informed the media that six cars are still on the bridge one is an empty crude oil car and the other five are a flammable liquid similar to a diesel fuel style of material.
At this time none of the cars show evidence of leakage. The situation is very dangerous because the material in five of the cars is very flammable. It is in an industrial area so no homes have been evacuated.
“Each car could have about 80,000 pounds of product in that car and they’re all flammable liquids so if something does go wrong we could have a very big pile of burning material and also then you have the smoke and the combustibles in the air that come off that,” noted Deputy Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc.
Most of the cars had safely crossed the bridge when it collapsed. It is unknown at this time if the flooding is the cause of the weakened bridge. As the bridge conditions worsen crews are working feverishly to secure the cars so they do not fall into the river spilling the product and causing extensive damage.
Cars that could be removed from the site on each end were separated and moved away including an Ethylene Glycol car. Ethylene Glycol is not flammable, it is a chemical commonly used in many commercial and industrial applications including antifreeze and coolant.
The cars have been strung with cables to D9 Cats on the banks to help prevent them from falling into the Bow River. Another train is to be brought in to pump the liquid out of the cars caught up in the derailment. Then cranes will be brought in to remove the cars from the damaged bridge. Booms are going to be deployed in case the cars somehow fall into the river.
CP rail spokesman Ed Greenberg informed the media that the bridge had been inspected by a qualified bridge inspector on Saturday and that the track was inspected on Monday.
Calgary Emergency Management Agency director Bruce Burrell, noted the bridge had dropped approximately 0.6 metres (two feet) in an hour and a half. As of 8 a.m. emergency officials said the bridge hadn’t moved any lower in 45 minutes.
The Transportation Safety Board has a team onsite assessing the situation. As a precaution the Deer Foot Trail a major traffic artery in Calgary had to be closed due to its close proximity to the bridge. Other roads in the area are closed as well and the public is being asked to stay out of the area.
Media Contact Info:
Oil and Gas Directory – Oilfield Directory Publications
10301 104th Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J-1B9
Phone: 780-701-7282
Sources
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/27/calgary-rail-bridge-on-verge-of-collapse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQk_KFkeu0
Author Scott Steele on Google+