Kentucky town evacuation ends after fire at derailed train extinguished
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images for Concordia
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency after a train derailed and spilled chemicals in Rockcastle County on Wednesday.
The big picture: The incident caused a fire and prompted Beshear to urge residents in the remote eastern Kentucky city of Livingston to evacuate. Crews extinguished the fire on Thursday, a spokesperson for rail operator CSX said in an emailed statement.
- The company said in a statement later Thursday that specialized equipment had been deployed "to conduct air monitoring in the area and local authorities have determined it safe for residents to return to their homes."
Driving the news: "The derailment involved 16 cars, including 2 cars carrying molten sulphur that lost some of their contents," CSX spokesperson Bryan Tucker said in his emailed statement Thursday afternoon.
- "There were also two cars carrying magnesium hydroxide involved in the incident, but there is no indication that these cars were breached."
State of play: Livingston is home to around 200 people, though it wasn't clear how many were included in evacuation orders.
- It was not immediately clear how far the spill north of Livingston had spread, nor its environmental impact.
- CSX noted in an earlier statement that when molten sulphur burns it is "known to release sulphur dioxide" and said specialized equipment was being deployed to conduct air monitoring in the area.
Zoom in: It was not immediately known whether the derailment released sulfur dioxide into the air, but one Livingston resident told WTVQ-TV that she suffered a "bad asthma attack" due to a strong chemical smell shortly after being asked to evacuate.
- Sulphur dioxide is a colorless gas with a strong odor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Temporary shelters were set up at a local school, and CSX promised to pay for hotel rooms, food and other necessities for those forced to evacuate — including Thanksgiving dinner.
What we're watching: "The cause of the incident is under investigation," Tucker said.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
