U.S. - Thousands flee after train explosion

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Thousands flee after train explosion

Saturday, October 15, 2005;

Posted: 6:16 p.m. EDT (22:16 GMT)

TEXARKANA, Arkansas (AP) -- A

tanker car transporting flammable gas derailed in a switchyard and exploded in

a ball of fire Saturday, killing one

person and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

A plume of smoke covered the south end of the city, and at

least seven people went to hospital emergency rooms with complaints of

respiratory problems.

At least two homes were destroyed -- including one where the

victim died -- and several vehicles were totaled in the quarter-mile area

surrounding the accident, police spokesman Chris Rankin said. A 209-foot-long

railroad bridge also caught fire and was destroyed, a Union Pacific spokesman

said.

The propylene tank was still burning Saturday evening, but

the fire was under control and the smoke had thinned out, Rankin said.

Union Pacific officials planned to let the tank burn out and

estimated it would take until early Sunday morning. Police canceled the

evacuation order Saturday afternoon, about 10 hours after the derailment.

Initially, police thought the chemical involved was vinyl

acetate, which releases poisonous fumes. Officers went door to door, urging

thousands of people in a 2-by-5 mile area to move to the north side of town.

Propylene is less dangerous.

" The smoke was so thick it blocked out daylight, "

Rankin said.

A Union Pacific train coming from Chicago hit the back of another freight train in the rail yard,

causing the eight cars to derail, said

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/15/train.derail.ap/index.html

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