Posted on 07/02/2015 6:07:21 AM PDT by Whenifhow
A train carrying toxic chemicals has derailed and caught fire causing thousands of people to be evacuated.
More 5,000 people have been forced to leave their homes after a train with 'highly flammable and toxic gas' derailed and caught fire near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Seven police officers were taken to hospital after breathing in fumes from the blaze, while fire-fighters in gas masks have been going from door to door to evacuate residents.
As many as three cars derailed, Blount County Sheriff's spokeswoman Marian O'Briant said. Local fire authorities ordered a one-mile evacuation, and Hazmat crews responded to the scene. 'Evacuation time could last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, but we'll get word out as soon as we can,' she said.
Snip
The CSX train was heading from Cincinnati to Waycross, Georgia and had 2 locomotives, 45 loaded rail cars carrying mixed freight and 12 empty rail cars. It was carrying liquefied petroleum gas and acrylonitrile, a substance used to make plastics, among other things, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Inhaling the substance, which is primarily used in the manufacture of acrylic and modacrylic fibers, can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Prayers.
Uh oh. Time to outlaw anything conservative, which of course equals toxic. Likely caused by Bible toting, confederate flag waving, gun carrying conservatives.
I would have thought that running it down the Clinchfield and through the Carolinas would have made more sense than running it down through Atlanta.
Was the conductor an under-qualified former Target cashier hired through AA?
Evacuate the homes so police and firefighters can loot undisturbed.
Our firefighters in East Tennessee have a good reputation and many serve at their own expense. One stroke of luck is IIRC Blount County {The airport} is where TEMA Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is located.
Really? SMH.
I lived in Knoxville {Inskip area} for a few years as a kid. I remember one train derailing in Inskip. IIRC over a dozen cars went off and flipped on that one. Trains have been hauling chemicals in and out of Knoxville for many decades with a real good safety record. Rohm and Haas {sp} was one of the major companies getting regular chemical deliveries.
It’s happened in other similar situations,people have short memories.
The evening news reported that the people may be evacuated throughout the long weekend.
On the website below, the initial story is near the bottom while the updates are near the top of the page. There is also a slide show of pics on the page.
The number of Cyanokits is 30-50, but 5,000 people have been evacuated.
short excerpts from updates:
“The ruptured tanker car contained 24,000 gallons of acrylonitrile — a flammable, toxic and colorless liquid used in the manufacture of plastics.”
“Cyanide is a byproduct of burning Acrylonitrile. A tanker car containing the toxic, flammable substance used in the manufacture of plastics, has been burning since midnight in Blount County west of Maryville.”
“Flener also said members of the 45th Civil Support Team of the Tennessee Air National Guard were en route to Blount County from Smyrna armed with special air-testing equipment. The team, Flener said, will take ground –level air samples to determine the concentrations of potentially harmful substances.
Hague said the 10-county area covered by his Homeland Security region last year obtained a federal grant to buy 30-50 of the cyanokits. Each kit, he said costs $650-$800. Most of the kits were distributed to hospitals in the region, but Hague kept four.”
NEW DIFFERENT INFO on CAUSE:
From: “UPDATE: Derailed locomotive was hauling 24,000 gallons of toxic chemicals”
“Although authorities have referred to the 11:50 p.m. Wednesday incident as a derailment, a state emergency official said the train is on the tracks.
“The train did not derail,” Dean Flener, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, said Thursday.
“One car had a broken axle that punctured the car and sparked the fire.”
CSX spokesman Craig Camuso said no matter the cause, anytime a wheel leaves the track it is considered a derailment. He added the cause is under investigation.”
More info pics of tracks and videos
Thousands Evacuated After Train Derails In East Tennessee
http://breaking911.com/thousands-evacuated-after-train-derails-in-east-tennessee/
Thousands evacuated after train carrying toxic, flammable liquid catches fire in Blount County
http://wate.com/2015/07/02/train-catches-fire-in-blount-county-evacuations-in-place/
5,000 evacuated, 30 treated after train carrying chemical derailed
http://www.wbir.com/story/news/2015/07/02/mandatory-evacuation-underway-following-blount-county—train-fire/29605729/
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