Kentucky Train Derailment Spills Molten Sulfur

A morning freight train derailment in rural western Kentucky briefly sent nearby residents indoors after a car carrying molten sulfur began leaking, officials say. About 30 rail cars from a CSX train left the tracks around 7am Thursday in Todd County, prompting authorities to issue a half-mile shelter-in-place order that was lifted four hours later, Fox News reports. Residents were ordered to shut down their HVAC systems despite freezing temperatures, reports WSMV.

Aerial footage showed a tangle of cars beside the tracks near fields outside the small city of Trenton, with several cars lying on their sides. Officials said one car was leaking molten sulfur, a heated liquid form of sulfur widely used in industrial processes, including fertilizer production. Hazmat crews covered the damaged train cars in dirt and created a dam to block the flow of sulfur, WSMV reports.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, molten sulfur can cause serious burns and, if disturbed, can release gases like sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide that irritate the respiratory system. Ash Groves, emergency management director for Todd County, said the shelter-in-place order was lifted after air quality testing at the site showed "everything is good now," the AP reports. No injuries were reported.