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Friday, January 25, 2002

UPDATE TO TRAIN DERAILMENT NORTH OF SAULT STE MARIE Mekatina, Ont., Officers from the Sault Ste Marie OPP detachment have surveyed the scene of a train derailment in an isolated area 100kms north of Sault Ste Marie.
UPDATE TO TRAIN DERAILMENT NORTH OF SAULT STE MARIE

Mekatina, Ont.,

Officers from the Sault Ste Marie OPP detachment have surveyed the scene of a train derailment in an isolated area 100kms north of Sault Ste Marie. The derailment is at a location called Mekatina in Desbeln Twp, about halfway between Searchmont and Batchawana Station.

Sault Ste Marie OPP are reporting that the last eight cars of the 65 car train have come off the tracks. One rail car that is carrying paraffin wax is 3/4 submerged in a lake beside the tracks. Two railway cars carrying lumber are lying on their sides, off the tracks but near the edge of the lake. Two empty rail cars are off the tracks but still upright.

The three rail cars that are carrying sulfuric acid are not damaged and remain off the tracks, but upright on the rail bed. These three cars are not leaking and are apparently not posing any health or environmental problems.