A Union Pacific cargo train carrying mixed commodities has derailed in Minnesota, leaving dozens of cars piled up on top of one another – some leaking hydrochloric acid – with a hazardous materials team responding to the incident.
The train derailed about 1:30pm Saturday near Goose Lake in Albert Lea, Minnesota, located 100 miles south of the Twin Cities. At least 28 cars went off the track, according to a Union Pacific spokesperson, who confirmed two of them were leaking hydrochloric acid.
Local news station WCCO shared aerial footage of the pileup, in which multiple tank, box, and flat cars could be seen lying overturned by the lakeside.
No injuries were reported in the crash and emergency responders said there was “nothing airborne” from the wreckage, but asked locals to stay clear of the area as a precaution, with a shelter-in-place order issued for nearby homes while the cleanup is ongoing.
Union Pacific said they were “working with emergency responders to determine a response plan,” according to WCCO reporter Nick Streiff, but the scale of the leak was unclear.
Hydrochloric acid is a strong corrosive substance used as a laboratory reagent. The short-term effects of inhalation can include irritation to the nose, eyes, and respiratory tract.
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