Washington – Thousands of residents were evacuated on Thursday after a freight train carrying chemicals derailed and caught fire in Maryville, Tennessee, according to local media.
“The CSX train was travelling from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Waycross, Georgia, when one car of the train derailed and caught fire,’’ it said.
The fire was still burning at about 8 a.m. local time (1300 GMT).
About 5,000 residents in the area were evacuated along with businesses.
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The CSX said in a statement that the derailed car was loaded with acrylonitrile, a flammable and toxic material used in manufacturing plastics, and that 27 of the 57 cars of the train were carrying hazardous chemicals. (Xinhua/NAN)