A truck carrying 28,390 liters of anhydrous ammonia (without water) overturned on Friday in central Illinois, causing a multiple crash that left five dead and several injured.Also, the toxic substance leaked, so the evacuation of hundreds of residents was ordered.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency indicated that the accident occurred at night in the city of Teutopolis and that More than half of the cargo was spilled,reviewed The Associated Press.
Effingham County Medical Examiner Kim Rhodes indicated that among the five deceased There were three people from the same family:one adult and two children under 12 years of age. The other two dead were drivers, also adults.
Regarding the injured, the news agency published that the authorities Five people were flown to hospitals,although details of his state of health were not known.
Firefighters, emergency medical technicians, hazardous materials specialists and police officers participated in the rescue efforts on Saturday night, Effingham County Sheriff Paul Khuns said in a press conference.
Environmental contractors, private and federal, traveled to Teutopolis, population 1,600 located about 177 kilometers northeast of St. Louis, to recommend a cleanup plan.
The accident, Kuhns reported, caused a large column of anhydrous ammonia that generated dangerous air conditions in the northeast area of the city. “Due to these conditions, emergency services waited. They had to mitigate the conditions before they could really get to work on it, and it was a pretty large area,” the AP quoted the officer as saying.
Anhydrous ammonia is pure, with more than 99% compared to that for domestic use, which is a dilute water solution that contains between 5% and 10% ammonia, according to health authorities, explained the EFE agency. Very high levels of this substance can damage the lungs or cause death,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additionally, pure ammonia can irritate and burn the skin, mouth, throat, lungs, and eyes.
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