TRAIN DERAILED:
Thousands evacuate in East Tennessee after chemical spills from tank car.
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A local official said smoke ceased rising Thursday afternoon from the site where a CSX train car carrying hazardous material derailed and caught fire in East Tennessee, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.
Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said shortly before 6 p.m. that he and others had visited the site and the smoke had stopped.
Earlier, officials said firefighters had been unable to get close to the burning car because of the heat. Mitchell said there were also concerns that the fumes contained cyanide, a byproduct of burning the chemical acrylonitrile, which was leaking from the train car.
The derailment late Wednesday prompted the evacuation of thousands of people within a mile-and-a-half radius. Maryville is about 20 miles south of Knoxville.
The damaged car was carrying liquid acrylonitrile, which officials said is a hazardous material used in multiple industrial processes including making plastics. It’s flammable, and it’s dangerous if inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency says some effects of breathing acrylonitrile include headaches, dizziness, irritability and rapid heartbeat.
Josh West, spokesman for Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, said 52 people had come in for treatment there as of 5 p.m. and that 25 had been admitted. He said some of the others were discharged and some remained in the emergency room for observation. He said none had life-threatening injuries but rather conditions such as respiratory issues, skin irritation and nausea.
Ten first responders received hospital treatment after breathing fumes.
At a 4:30 p.m. news conference, CSX regional vice president for state government affairs Craig Camuso said authorities didn’t know how much acrylonitrile was spewing out and burning or how much remained in the tank.
The fire was reported shortly before midnight Wednesday. About 5,000 people in the area were evacuated, along with several businesses.
Mitchell asked residents near the derailment site not to drink well water for now. He said CSX will provide bottled water to residents at a local middle school.
Maryville City Manager Greg McClain advised evacuees to make plans to be away from home at least for Thursday night.
Camuso said the company is placing evacuees in hotels, will provide reimbursement and will provide gift cards for food and essentials to those who need them.
The train was traveling from Cincinnati to Waycross, Georgia.
Camuso said the cause of the derailment is not yet known. The Federal Railroad Administration said it had investigators and hazmat inspectors at the scene, and would investigate the cause once it’s safe.
A shelter for residents was set up at a local high school. Several residents there said they were not aware of the derailment until they got a call or someone knocked on their door early in the morning.
Brittany Parrott said she was awakened by a knock on her apartment door at about 4:30 a.m. Although she didn’t hear the derailment, she said she noticed the effects of it as she went outside.
“You could smell it in the air,” Parrott said. “I had a headache, I was feeling nauseated and lightheaded, all the symptoms.”