The governor of Kentucky has declared a state of emergency after a train derailed and sparked a molten sulphur fire.
The derailment, involving at least 16 cars including two that were carrying molten sulphur, occurred north of Livingston in Rockcastle county at about 2.23pm on Wednesday, according to the railroad operator CSX.
Two of the cars spilled molten sulphur and sparked a fire that continued to burn as of 7.30am on Thursday, CSX said in an update.
Two cars also carried magnesium hydroxide, but there is no indication that those cars were breached, according to CSX. The others were either empty or carrying non-hazardous products such as grain and plastic.
The office of the governor, Andy Beshear, released a statement saying: “The governor’s executive order allows the state to activate resources, including Kentucky Emergency Management and the Kentucky National Guard, as needed to help protect Kentucky families and communities.”
Beshear also activated the state’s price-gouging laws to protect families from any grossly overpriced goods and services after the incident, his office announced.
One member of the train’s two-person crew was treated at the scene for minor injuries, WKYT reported. It added that according to the state’s emergency management officials no one was hospitalised.
Meanwhile, specialised equipment has been deployed to the derailment area to conduct air monitoring. Molten sulphur is known to release sulphur dioxide when it burns, CSX said.
Sulphur dioxide can cause severe irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes, skin and respiratory tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inhalation exposure to very low concentrations of sulphur dioxide can aggravate chronic pulmonary diseases. Symptoms of sulphur dioxide respiratory irritation include sneezing, sore throat, wheezing, breath shortness, chest tightness and a feeling of suffocation.
According to a CSX spokesperson, Bryan Tucker, it is believed that the fire is releasing sulphur dioxide but the amount will not be confirmed until measurements are obtained from the monitoring equipment, the Associated Press reported.
Local authorities are recommending the evacuation of residents in Livingston, a town of about 200 people.
CSX said it would provide Thanksgiving dinner for residents, along with other food, lodging and other necessities..
Fifty per cent of the fire was contained on Thursday as of 8am, WKYT reported the Rockcastle county judge-executive, Howell Holbrook, as saying.
Wednesday’s train derailment is the latest in a string across the country this year. Last week an Amtrak train carrying more than 200 passengers derailed in Michigan after it collided with a disabled vehicle on the tracks, injuring a dozen people. Meanwhile, in February, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying massive quantities of toxic chemicals including the carcinogenic vinyl chloride derailed in Ohio.
