Leaks contained after CP Rail train derailment spills octane in southern Alberta

All of the chemical leaks have been contained following a train derailment in southern Alberta that forced evacuations and road closures on Monday morning, officials say.

Twenty one cars and a locomotive on a Canadian Pacific Railwaytrain went off the tracks at about 7:40 a.m. MT south of the village of Barons, Alta., the company said in an emailed update late Monday.

"Three cars carrying octane were found to be leaking and those leaks have all been stopped," the update said. Crews used vacuum trucks to remove the spilled liquid from the tracks.

Hazmat teams from Canadian Pacific Railway and local fire departmentsworked to contain the leaks.

There were no injuries.

TheTransportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators from Calgary to the scene, which isnear Highway 23 at Township Road 120.

TSB spokesperson Chris Krepski said the agency'sinvestigation found an emergency brake was applied while the train was moving.

Lethbridge County issued an alert at 10:50 a.m. MT that included an evacuation order for communities within a two-kilometreradius of the derailment site.

That order was liftedjust after 4 p.m. MT Monday. Six homes were evacuated, and the bulk of the other evacuees came from a local campground and golf course.

Highway 23 was closedin both directions from Township Road 11-4 to Township Road 12-2, but has since reopened

"Crews continue to work on site to ensure all equipment is removed and the area fully restored," the CPupdate said.

The investigation into the cause of the derailment is ongoing.

"CP thanks local fire officials, Alberta emergency response representatives, local government, local police and other stakeholders for their support in responding to this incident," the company said.

"We also thank those impacted by the evacuation for their patience and understanding and apologize for the inconvenience this incident has caused."

County ReeveLorne Hickeyfelt the incident was well handled.

"They were there in unbelievable time," he said.

"They brought in a whole fleet of equipment and got the job done and everybody seemed to work very well together."