People were awakened in the middle of the night by knocks on theirs doors and automated reverse 911 alerts and told told to evacuate their homes immediately after a train derailed near Maryville. The CSX train was carrying, among other materials, cars filled with acrylonitrile, a caustic and highly flammable material used in carpet manufacturing. It left Cincinnati and was on its way to Waycross, Georgia, where several carpet factories are located.
First responders on the scene found that one of the cars carrying the chemical was located right next to a car that was on fire. Apparently, some type of rupture occurred in the chemical car at least 7 first responders became ill and were treated for chemical inhalation. Several more were immediately decontaminated. Acrylonitrile is dangerous when inhaled and can cause symptoms from nausea and eye, nose and mouth irritation, chemical burns to the skin, and kidney impairment. People affected are being thoroughly decontaminated and given oxygen breathing treatments to clear their lungs and blood of the chemical.
Some residents reported smelling the chemical in the air and becoming sick and light headed. At least 5,000 people in a 2 mile radius were evacuated, with shelters set up by the Red Cross at a local high school and at the Foothills Mall in Maryville. They were told they could be away from their homes for up to 48 hours while the chemical is contained and the detailed cars removed. At the moment, emergency response authorities are letting the fire burn off the chemical. It is not known what caused the train to derail and the accident scene remains an active and open investigation. The Federal Railroad Administration released a statement that said “Once it is safe, FRA will begin a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the derailment“.
Photo by: MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL
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