2 July 2008
Divers Inspect Chemical-Loaded Train Cars in Thompson River
At least four cars of a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed
near Lytton, B.C., on Tuesday and two ended up partially submerged in the Thompson River.
Lytton British Columbia - Divers spent Wednesday morning
inspecting two rail cars loaded with chemicals that landed in the Thompson River after a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed
Tuesday evening near the B.C. Interior town of Lytton.
The CPR train was travelling on the CN track about 100 kilometres southwest of Kamloops when it was hit by a rock slide.
At least four cars derailed, but only two cars ended up partially submerged in the river, company officials said.
A CPR spokesperson said the cars in the derailment were carrying ethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze and windshield fluid.
The cars in the water are double-walled and did not appear to be leaking, CPR spokesman Mike LoVecchio said Tuesday, but
environmental officials were still assessing whether any chemical spilled into the river and what damage might have been done on
Wednesday morning.
The rock slide was only one of several slides that caused problems across the province after violent thunderstorms dumped heavy rain
and hail across the B.C. Interior late Tuesday.
Seven cars on another train were buried by a mud slide near Field, B.C., close to the Alberta border. A mudslide also closed Highway 16
east of McBride from the junction with Highway 5 at Tete Jaune Cache to the B.C.-Alberta border.
Lightning strikes associated with the thunderstorms also sparked an estimated 150 forest fires across the province on Tuesday.
No one was injured in any of the incidents, but the residents of Lytton were feeling the pressure on two sides.
On Tuesday, a wildfire caused a number of rock slides that closed the Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon, a
few kilometres south of Lytton.
Lytton Mayor Chris O'Connor said the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway is having a serious effect on the community
because many businesses depend on holiday traffic.
A town hall meeting with CPR and CN officials, community leaders, and residents was scheduled for Wednesday
evening.
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