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The last thing I needed this morning......
A freight train derailed this morning, leaking chlorine gas and ammonium nitrate just southwest of San Antonio, according to broadcast reports.
| I'm within 5 miles, that ammonium nitrate bit got my attention. |
Several people were treated for exposure to chlorine gas after the Union Pacific freight train derailed about 6 a.m. near the Lackland Air Force Base annex, according to the reports. The pungent smell of chlorine could be detected as far as the SeaWorld area, about 10 miles away. The accident happened about 5 a.m. today as a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train was pulling onto a siding, when it was struck by a Union Pacific freight train, said Burlington Northern spokesman Joe Faust at the railroad's Fort Worth headquarters. He had no details on how many cars derailed and whose train was the source of the chemical leaks, but he says the leaks have now been contained. Telephone messages to Union Pacific were not returned today. The broadcast reports said one of the eight treated for chemical exposure was a Bexar County sheriff's deputy who drove through the chlorine cloud. He was hospitalized, but his condition was not available.
| Hope he's ok, they just reported the train engineer died. |
No evacuations were ordered, but people were urged to stay inside if they could smell the gas and about two miles of nearby Pearsall Road was closed as hazardous materials specialists attacked the leak, according to the broadcast reports.
| Now reporting that there were just trace amounts of ammonium nitrate on the train. Pulse returning to normal, back to work. |
Posted by: Steve 2004-06-28 |
