CN crews are responding to a derailment and subsequent oil leak after nearly 40 train cars carrying crude oil derailed near a village in western Manitoba early Saturday morning.

The incident occurred on local rancher Jayme Corr's property.

"You can smell crude in the air. That's really concerning," he said "There's oil leaking, and where they're sitting is [near] a water lagoon."

According to Jonathan Abecassis a media relations director for CN,  approximately 37 crude oil cars have derailed and there is indeed a partial leak of crude oil.

"A perimeter has been set up around the area to facilitate site access. There are no reports of injuries or fires," he wrote.

"CN crews will be conducting a full site assessment to determine how much product has spilled and exactly how many cars are involved. First responders are on location."

CN's environmental team has started cleaning up the area.

Corr says he thinks a derailment like Saturday's has been a long time coming.

"It seems to be the trains go faster, they're longer, heavier, and the maintenance is getting less and less," Corr said.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to the site of the derailment.

img: Eyan Corr