It's likely to be noon Friday or later before residents of the small town of Callaway, in northwestern Minnesota, are allowed back to their homes after a freight train collided with a tanker truck hauling propane Thursday and derailed.

The accident, which happened about 12:25 p.m., ignited a fire in the truck and prompted evacuation of the Becker County town. Eleven rail cars and one locomotive in the Canadian Pacific train derailed, according to railway spokesman Andy Cummings. None of the derailed cars contained hazardous materials and none caught fire.

Two members of the train's crew who suffered noncritical injuries were treated at the Detroit Lakes hospital before being released.

The propane from the truck was "vented and burned off" as fire crews from 15 departments worked to contain the flames, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

The last of the propane was vented about 9:30 p.m., and the fire was out by 9:45 p.m., according to the Rev. Matthew Meyer of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, which is about a mile from the site.

Authorities ordered Callaway's 230 or so residents to find shelter with friends or family away from the crash scene or at Beautiful Savior.

CJ Sinner, Star Tribune
Callaway, Minn., is about 220 miles from the Twin Cities and 50 miles east of Fargo, N.D.

Meyer said the railroad found lodging for many residents in Detroit Lakes or Mahnomen. Others found temporary housing with friends or relatives. Only a few remained at the church by 10 p.m. Thursday, he said.

Late Thursday, the DPS said the evacuation would remain in effect until at least noon Friday. "Becker County officials will evaluate the situation Friday morning and determine if more time is needed to ensure the safety of the community," the agency said in a statement.

Cummings said the railway company "will conduct a full investigation into the incident, with a focus on how the vehicle came to be on the tracks at that time." It appears that the locomotive engineer sounded the train's horn before the collision, he said.

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