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Thousands evacuated after train car blast

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published March 13, 2007

ONEIDA, N.Y. - A train carrying liquefied propane and other chemicals derailed Monday, touching off an explosion and fire that forced homes to be evacuated.

Passenger rail service was halted as a precaution and a nearby highway was closed after the 7 a.m. blast.

A huge fireball shot into the dawn sky.

By late afternoon, all danger of explosions had passed, Fire Chief Don Hudson said.

He said 28 of the CSX Corp. train's 80 cars derailed - about half loaded with propane.

Two ignited, along with two tankers filled with liquid petroleum and a fifth car loaded with the solvent toluene, Hudson said.

No injuries were reported.

"I was standing in the driveway waiting for the bus when I saw this big ball of fire go into the sky. It must have shot up thousands of feet," said Will Medler, 16. "First I thought 'Wow, that's cool.' Then I realized something bad has happened."

Medler said he didn't hear anything because he was wearing headphones.

Officials evacuated an area within a one-mile radius, covering most of downtown in the city of 10,000. Up to 4,000 people live within the evacuation area, but it was mandatory only for homes closest to the blast. Most residents were allowed to return by mid-afternoon.

Drug tests will be performed on the engineer and data from the locomotives' data recorders will be analyzed, CSX spokesman Maurice O'Connell said.

[Last modified March 13, 2007, 02:21:50]