VIDEO: Train Hauling Ethanol Derails and Bursts into Flames, Prompting Minnesotans to Evacuate

A train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed Thursday and went up in flames near Raymond, Minnesota.

The incident prompted residents to evacuate, NBC News reported, adding authorities with the Kandiyohi Sheriff’s Department learned about what happened at approximately 1:00 a.m.

In update hours later, the agency said there were no injuries and “BNSF specialists are on scene and continued mitigation is occurring.”

Per the NBC report, about 22 rail cars derailed, then several of them caught on fire.

KARE shared video footage recorded by a social media user that shows flames leaping into the dark sky:

Another video shows the pile of burning wreckage near a roadway where first responders’ vehicles were parked:

“An evacuation area within a half a mile around the crash site was established and law enforcement officers and EMS personnel assisted with evacuating the area,” the NBC article said, noting the main track is blocked for the time being.

Officials are monitoring the situation as more details become available, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a social media post Thursday just after 6:00 a.m.:

FRA is on the ground after a BNSF train carrying ethanol derailed early this morning, leading to an evacuation in the area of Raymond, MN. At present no injuries or fatalities have been reported. We are tracking closely as more details emerge and will be involved in investigaton.

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) March 30, 2023

Earlier this month, Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) criticized Buttigieg over recent railroad and airline disasters across the country, Breitbart News reported.

He told the outlet:

The number one priority at the U.S. Department of Transportation is to look out for the safety of the traveling public. Unfortunately, on this issue, Secretary Buttigieg has been asleep at the switch. Our country has faced numerous transportation safety challenges in just the recent months that he appears completely unprepared to handle, including the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, five near misses at U.S. airports, the Southwest debacle at Christmas, and the first nationwide ground stoppage since 9/11.

In February, Buttigieg was thrust into the spotlight following the toxic train derailment in Ohio that caused neighbors concern over long-term health implications.

Breitbart News has covered extensively recent train derailments incidents in America.

Meanwhile, the Raymond Fire Department said the town was being evacuated for “precautionary measures,” adding, “Residents may go to Prinsburg School for shelter.”