PERRY, Okla. -- A train derailment in Northern Oklahoma kept crews busy all night long. It happened in Perry, along Highway 64 near Birch Street and forced the evacuation of some nearby residents.
Crews worked throughout the night and most of the day trying to clean up the mess.
Thirteen cars came off the tracks Thursday night, rattling those who live nearby.
William Graham, who lives nearby, says, "If you've ever been in a crash, the sound of metal hitting, that's what it sounded like."
Graham came outside to find smoke filling the air.
He says, "There were a couple cars across the tracks and it was dark. You could just see them laying over."
Crews re-railed as many cars as they could, moving them slowly up the tracks.
Eighteen rail panels were damaged and had to be ripped out and replaced.
Perry Fire Chief Wayne Emmons says, "The tracks are messed up so they're going to have to rebuild the tracks."
Broken pieces were hauled away and new pieces brought in.
One of the cars was carrying liquid fertilizer which spilled in the accident.
Officials were forced to take extra precautions.
Emmons says, "We did go ahead and evacuate one family right by the railroad tracks and put them in a motel room."
Graham says, "You couldn't really smell it but you could feel it in your lungs when you breathed in. It burned a little bit."
Officials later determined the liquid was not a danger to the community.
A spokesperson for Burlington Northern Santa Fe tells us they do expect the track to reopen around 7:30 p.m. Friday.
They do not know what caused the train to derail, but say it was only going about 20 miles per hour when the accident happened.
No injuries were reported.
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