Deadly train derailment in Manitoba, Canada

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Arctic Gateway Gro confirmed a derailment occurred at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th, near Ponton, Manitoba in Canada.

Arctic Gateway Gro confirmed a derailment occurred at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th, near Ponton, Manitoba in Canada.

Ponton is approximately 145 miles southwest of Thompson and approximately 545 miles northwest of Winnipeg. In addition to the Arctic Gateway Group personnel who attended at the site of the derailment, multiple emergency services agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local fire department and health authorities, and a hazardous materials-handling team, were dispatched and assisted in efforts to respond to the incident.

The Arctic Gateway Group is cooperating with the emergency services teams on site and will also be conducting a full internal review to determine the cause of the derailment.

Sadly, one of our employees working on the locomotive has been confirmed by authorities as deceased. A second employee has sustained serious injuries and has been airlifted to hospital. The RCMP is in the process of notifying the families. The Arctic Gateway Group will be also be making direct contact with family members and all of our employees and communities in the coming days as we all attempt to cope with this tragedy.

The train that derailed had three locomotives and several dozen railcars, some of which were carrying liquefied petroleum. At this time, based on information we have received, we believe that none of these railcars has been compromised. The Arctic Gateway Group is monitoring this situation very closely, and we have been advised that at this time there does not appear to be any significant environmental danger to nearby areas resulting from the derailment.

The Arctic Gateway Group’s internal investigation into the circumstances of the derailment will run in parallel with the investigations of the RCMP and other relevant emergency services. Murad Al-Katib, the President and Chief Executive Officer of AGT Foods, one of the partners of the Arctic Gateway Group, will be on the ground today. “On behalf of the entire Arctic Gateway Group, and all of our employees, our hearts go out to the families of these dedicated employees”, said Mr. Al-Katib. “We have said repeatedly that we will not compromise speed for safety and this is a stark reminder for us as we repair the northern section of the rail line to Churchill.”

Senior members of AGT’s Mobil rail team have also been dispatched to the site of the derailment to join the Superintendent of the Hudson Bay Railway who has been present at the scene of the derailment since last night.

Murad Al-Katib will be meeting with the families of the individuals involved in this incident. He will also be meeting with municipal authorities in The Pas and Thompson, along with provincial and federal authorities, in order to coordinate an effective response. Grief counselling for all employees and their families is being made available in conjunction with our community and First Nations partners.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those involved in the accident, and with our employees.ย We thank all of the first responders and emergency services workers that have assisted in the initial response to this incident, and we remain committed to cooperating with these emergency services teams and all other stakeholders to provide information and support in the wake of this tragic incident.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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