Health officials issued an urgent warning after a train carrying toxic materials derailed and exploded into a fireball in North Dakota.
Hazmat crews have been deployed to a remote area around 140 miles north of Fargo, after 29 cars of a CPKC train derailed at around 3:45 am on Friday.
The hazardous materials in the train included anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, which officials warned are being expelled from the wreckage in toxic smoke.
Ammonia is the biggest risk, and if exposed to the compound, it can cause burning to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as blindness, lung damage, and death.
Shocking images captured the aftermath of a train derailment carrying toxic materials that exploded into a fireball in North Dakota
The hazardous materials in the train included anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, with officials warning over toxic smoke being expelled from the wreckage
Health officials said they currently have no plans to evacuate the area, but may look to clear the towns of Bordulac and Carrington if the wind switches.
'Wind has been in our favor on this,' Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, told WKMG6.
'That risk has greatly subsided, (but it is) still there as long as fires are burning.'
The cause of the derailment is currently unclear, and officials say they are launching investigations into the crash.
There are no early reports of injuries, deaths or side effects caused by the toxic derailment, and the train's engineer and conductor were reportedly able to leave the crash site unscathed.
Footage shared to social media showed the crash site engulfed in flames
There are no early reports of injuries, deaths or side effects caused by the toxic derailment, and the train's engineer and conductor were reportedly able to leave the crash site unscathed
Health officials warned the toxic materials could seep from the crash site in hazardous smoke, with a huge plume of dark smoke seen filling the sky hours after the derailment
Andrew Kirking, emergency management director for Foster County, said it appears early in the investigation that between 10 and 15 of the train's cars caught fire.
Railroad fire crews were on the scene battling the blazes, with footage shared to social media showing a huge fireball engulfing the wreckage.
CPKC said in a statement that it has 'initiated its emergency response plan and launched a comprehensive, coordinated response.'
'Crews, including senior officers from our operations and hazardous materials teams, are responding to assess the situation,' the statement read.
'We are coordinating with local emergency response officials already on scene. The train is carrying hazardous materials. There is a fire at the scene.
'There are no reports of injuries. The safety of the public and emergency responders is CPKC's first priority.'
