British Columbia

Freight train carrying wood pellets derails in northwest B.C.

Canadian National says a freight train carrying wood pellets derailed in northwest British Columbia early Tuesday morning.

Transportation Safety Board is investigating cause of derailment

A CN train, similar to the one pictured in this stock photo, derailed early Tuesday morning. (CN)

Canadian National says a freight train carrying wood pellets derailed in northwest British Columbia early Tuesday morning.

CN Rail spokesman Jonathan Abecassis says 34 rail cars carrying wood pellets were derailed near Kitwanga.

He says no dangerous goods were involved in the derailment and there were no fires or injuries.

Abecassis says none of the pellets went into the Skeena River, which runs close to the tracks.

Chris Krepski of the Transportation Safety Board says the freight train derailed at about 6 a.m.

"It's too early to say [what caused the derailment] and we need to gather the information to understand the sequence of events," Krepski said. 

The board is sending investigators to the site and they were scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning.

With files from CBC's Clare Hennig