Posted on 09/30/2023 10:28:01 PM PDT by deks
The incident occurred around 8:40 p.m. local time [Friday, September 29] on U.S. Highway 40 less than one mile east of the village of Teutopolis, Illinois, authorities said.
A semi-truck transporting anhydrous ammonia rolled over, causing a "large plume cloud of anhydrous ammonia on the roadway that caused terribly dangerous air conditions in the northeast area," Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns told reporters during a Saturday press briefing.
About 500 people have been evacuated in the wake of the crash, with the evacuation zone approximately 2 square miles on the east side of Teutopolis, authorities said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
It is widely used as a fertilizer and as a refrigerant.
This video thoroughly explains anhydrous ammonia: its chemical structure, how it is produced, its uses, and its risks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnTYn0lr_mM
😆
About half way between Indianapolis and St Louis.
At least the interstate highway is still open.
Nasty stuff.
I’ve been around a small spill before..
You simply cannot breathe
We had a long training session when we worked near a 5” high pressure line that runs from NO to Ohio
Scary consequences if you hit one, but you won’t know it it for long
Update at 7:30 p.m. – Effingham County authorities said people are now allowed back into their homes 22 hours after the crash that prompted an evacuation of Teutopolis.
This updating article has the timeline —
https://www.wcia.com/news/ammonia-leak-forces-evacuation-closes-route-40-in-effingham-county/
That’s the line that runs near me north of Indy near Frankfort
500 were evacuated and 5 were killed. Terrible!
The article linked below includes a video report showing aerial drone views of the crash scene [at 0:35] and the town, and several folks describe what happened — “I spoke with people who evacuated so quickly that they left behind medicines, and even pets...”
“Panic and confusion were rampant...”
“The National Transportation Safety Board is coming to Teutopolis to assess the damage...”
<<>>
Residents, firefighters describe chaotic scene in Teutopolis
https://www.wcia.com/top-stories/residents-firefighters-describe-chaotic-scene-in-teutopolis/
When the local firemen responded and approached the scene not knowing the situation, they quickly retreated with symptoms from the gas, but it was reported that all of them recovered later without injury.
I haven’t heard about the identities of those who died, or where the deceased were located, but I suspect it may have been the truck driver, and occupants of other vehicles involved in the crash.
Thank you
sure ;)
I read 2 children and an adult were from one vehicle. The driver of the Truck is in the hospital. The other two who passed away were in separate out of state vehicles.
You must have read my mind because I was wondering why the EMS waited to treat the injured - as they could have worn protective gear. But, you said they went in and had to pull out to recover.
Thank you
May 11 marks the 44th anniversary of one of the scariest moments in Houston history, when a semitrailer carrying more than 7,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia fell from a freeway ramp, spilling its lethal contents.
The incident, which left seven dead and nearly 200 injured, caused officials to rethink how to tackle chemical disasters and led to rules still in use today.
Over forty years later, the route that ammonia truck took still snakes through a city that has doubled in size, leaving Houston vulnerable to a catastrophic accident.
Just after 11 a.m. on May 11, 1976, a tanker truck carrying the dangerous chemical fell onto the Southwest Freeway from the 610 West Loop above. The driver had lost control of the rig and hit a support beam.
The National Transportation Safety Board would later determine that the driver was not traveling at a safe speed. He barely missed landing on a car passing by. Not much was left from the truck in the aftermath.
From a Houston Post dateline: “As the sign says, the weather is fair, it’s 83 degrees and the time is 11:17 a.m. The date is also May 11, and that white cloud in the distance is the toxic blanket of anhydrous ammonia fumes which resulted from a tank truck crash at Southwest Freeway and the West Loop which killed five persons. The Texas Air Control Board took the picture from its offices at 5555 West Loop South.”
More at above LINK.
Awful. those poor people ..
…
Ooooooo......
When I was in Water Treatment We used it combined with CL2 to make CLO2 for a longer lasting Disinfectant.
The fumes from CLO2 are toxic and that's why they tell you to not mix Household Ammonia and Bleach because they create the CLO2 gas. As if the 2 chemicals separate aren't toxic enough and sometimes people will mix them together anyway and use the mix in a confined space.
I was at a Training Class in Cleburne, TX and the Water Treatment Plant had a small leak in the valve on the NH3 Storage Tank and even being outside the smell was VERY noticeable even when 20-30' away from the Tank.
It sounds like a horrible way to go.
Anhydrous ammonia: Know the dangers
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16468-anhydrous-ammonia-know-the-dangers
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