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A Ventures West Super B-Train transport truck carrying a reported 48,000 litres of diesel fuel travelling north on the Ingraham Trail drove into the ditch late Sunday night. No fuel was spilled and the truck was removed late Monday afternoon without blocking off the road, company officials said. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A truck carrying a full load of diesel fuel up to the Ekati mine went off the road late Sunday night while heading northbound on the Ingraham Trail. The driver was not injured in the incident and no fuel was leaked into the surrounding environment, officials say.

"First of all no injuries to the driver and none of the fuel that was on board leaked," said Ron Near, director of winter road operations for the Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto joint venture. "It's presently under investigation."

A Super B-Train transport truck was headed north on the Ingraham Trail towards the winter road at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday when it left the road and drove straight into the ditch, near the east end of Madeline Lake, said Near. Its cargo was about 48,000 litres of diesel fuel.

Near could not comment on what caused the truck to leave the road, saying that he is waiting for the final report from the carrier.

"He went off the road due to icy conditions. I guess there was a bit of fresh snow and it was quite slick and he went off the road," said Glenn Bauer, president of Ventures West, based in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. "Rather than try to get him out of there during the night, we waited until daylight because there was nothing leaking and no spills of any sort - so there was no danger in that respect."

It is up to the trucking company involved in an accident to clear the site, said Near.

First the workers emptied the two containers full of fuel being hauled by the truck, and then set to work pulling the rig out of the ditch, said Bauer.

The truck was out by 4 p.m. Monday, said Bauer, and the crew did not have to close the road while bringing the truck out, since it went in close to a small access road.

"All we haul is fuel," said Bauer. "So, obviously, our concern is if there was ever a leak or something like that. But when we got the call (Sunday) night, we went out there, we assessed it, we determined there were no leaks whatsoever, and so we were confident enough to leave it to daylight to do the recoveries."

This is the first accident involving a vehicle servicing the mines on the Ingraham Trail so far this year, said Near. There has been one other accident on the winter road where two trucks collided. Neither driver was injured in that incident.

"Last year was very good as far as a low number of accidents, and this year has started out even better," said Near.

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