Thousands Evacuated in Tennessee after Train Crash Releases Toxic Fumes

Train derailment, toxic fire prompts mass evacuation in Tennessee

More than 5,000 people near Knoxville, Tennessee, have been evacuated after a freight train carrying extremely “flammable and toxic gas” derailed and caught fire early Thursday.

A section of a 60-car CSX train derailed near Maryville in Blount County, and at least one derailed car then caught fire, releasing plumes of toxic fumes.

The train was carrying liquefied petroleum gas and acrylonitrile,  a substance used in the manufacture of plastics, said the train operator.

At least seven deputies were exposed to the fumes and had to be hospitalized, said the Blount County sheriff’s spokeswoman.

An evacuation zone is in place within a two-mile radius of the derailment, which could last up to 48 hours, according to Blount County sheriff.