WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Voluntary evacuation issued for area around train derailment

Voluntary evacuation issued for area around train derailment

By Jillian Capobianco - bio | email

GILBERT, SC (WIS) - Lexington Fire Services officials say a Norfolk Southern train derailed around 5am Sunday at Hayes Crossing Road near Gilbert.

Authorities say there were no injuries from the eight car derailment.

The train was traveling from Augusta to Columbia when something went wrong.

Thom Berry with the Department of Health and Environmental Control says the situation is under control, but there's still the possibility for a sulfuric acid leak.

"Sulfuric Acid is highly corrosive and so it would basically do what an acid does, it would corrode, so you wouldn't want to come in contact with it and you wouldn't want to breathe the fumes," said Berry.

Crews have to lift the other cars away from the tank with the acid. Then they will try to put the tank with the sulfuric acid back on the track without rupturing the tank.

"The worst case scenario would be a complete failure of the tank itself and that would then spill the contents onto the ground," said Berry.

Lexington County issued a voluntary evacuation for residents who live close to the track.

Retired firefighter John Prouse says he's not taking any chances with his 4-year-old son in case of a leak.

"We're going to go some where shortly before they start picking it up, we will be gone," said Prouse. "He wants to watch, but I'm not going to let him; it's too dangerous."

One factor that will help the emergency crews out there is the cold weather. They say if a leak were to happen, the cold weather would keep the fumes close to the ground.

They plan on being out there working on train until late Sunday evening.

As for the cause of the derailment, the company who owns the train says they are investigating.

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