Hundreds of people in rural Kentucky were asked to leave their homes on the eve of Thanksgiving after a train derailed, causing molten sulfur to catch fire and release dangerous fumes.
At least 16 of the 40 coaches on the train derailed near Livingston, home to 200 people, 60 miles south of Lexington.
The accident happened around 2:30 p.m. and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency.
Local officials are encouraging people in the city of Livingston to evacuate, he said.
“By declaring a state of emergency, we are ensuring that all state resources are available to protect our families,” Beshear said.
“Please steer clear of this area as state, local and CSX officials respond.”
Smoke can be seen behind a barn near Livingston, Kentucky, on Wednesday after a train derailed and caught fire
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency and asked local residents to evacuate
CSX, the rail operator, was working to extinguish the fire Wednesday afternoon, said Bryan Tucker, a CSX spokesman.
Two cars containing sulfur were “punctured” and some of the sulfur caught fire, CSX said, adding that sulfur dioxide gas was released into the air.
The colorless gas, with a strong odor, can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, the CDC says.
CSX said they were conducting air quality testing in the area.
“We will work with local authorities to secure the area and safety is our top priority as we develop a recovery plan,” CSX said.
Livingston residents were asked to move to temporary shelter at Rockcastle County Middle School in Mount Vernon, 10 miles away.
Cindy Bradley told WKYT that the authorities came to her door and told her she had to leave.
“She says, ‘You’ve been evacuated, there’s twelve to fourteen cars in the river, you gotta get out of here,'” she said.
“We said, ‘What about Thanksgiving?’
Locals have been asked to leave their homes and move to Rockcastle Middle School
Those who live in the area are faced with spending Thanksgiving sleeping on cots
Officials said they were testing air quality, but there was no indication when people would be allowed back into their homes
Linda Todd added, “I panicked because I thought, ‘We’re cooking, we have turkeys in the oven, we can’t leave.’
Tina Doan told Fox 56 she was “so aggravated” when she was told she had to leave.
“But then I realized that someone cares,” she said. “At least they were that concerned about coming for us.
‘So we have a lot to be grateful for. We think about dinner, but I think our lives mean so much more.”
The derailment occurred less than a year after the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment that displaced thousands of people from their homes in February.
Norfolk Southern estimates that the response to the derailment will cost at least $803 million to remove all hazardous chemicals, assist the community and deal with lawsuits and fines related to the derailment.
Norfolk Southern has said the freight train derailment, which released millions of gallons of toxic chemicals in a small Ohio town, could cost the company nearly $400 million.
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, on February 6, due to a controlled burning of part of the derailed Norfolk Southern train
Parts of a Norfolk Southern freight train are set on fire in East Palestine on February 4
But residents are still concerned about the long-term health effects. Many expect Congress to take action, hoping it will prevent another community from enduring the trauma, fear and anxiety they endured.
According to the National League of Cities, an average of three trains derail every day, as many as half of which are carrying potentially hazardous materials.
The top five states with derailments in the past decade are Texas, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Railroad labor groups say the widespread cuts the industry has made in recent years in the name of efficiency have made railroads riskier. Therefore, they believe that reforms are needed to reduce the more than a thousand derailments that occur every year, because just one of them can be disastrous.
“More than 60 high-profile derailments have occurred since East Palestine, including several in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Montana,” said the Transportation Trades Department coalition, which includes all railroad unions.
“Through it all, freight rail companies have maintained their fundamental disregard for public safety.
‘Safety is just a buzzword for the railways.’