CSX, the train operator, said two of at least 16 cars affected were carrying molten sulfur.
Image of a train carrying sulfur. Photo: AFP
The company also said specialized equipment was being deployed to monitor the air for sulfur dioxide, a toxic gas released when molten sulfur burns. The cause of the derailment is not yet known.
Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency following the crash Wednesday afternoon near the town of Livingston. “Response efforts are ongoing and local officials are encouraging residents of the town of Livingston to evacuate,” he said.
Cindy Bradley, a resident of Livingston, was preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, a major American holiday, when authorities ordered her to evacuate. "It's scary. It's unpredictable. We don't know how long we're going to be here, what's going to happen," she said.
The accident comes amid increased scrutiny of rail freight carriers after a train derailed in Ohio earlier this year, spilling more than a million gallons of toxic chemicals, including the carcinogen vinyl chloride, into the air, soil and waterways.
More than 2,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the accident. Train derailments are common in the United States, with more than 1,160 accidents occurring in 2022, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)
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