DWIGHT JURGENS
KSN News
Photo Courtesy KSN News
Cars of a train derailed early Thursday morning. A piece of equipment on the tracks seems to be the cause.
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WICHITA, Kansas, Aug. 30 - A 60-car Burlington Northern freight train rambling through southeast Sedgwick County and carrying potentially dangerous chemicals derailed early Thursday morning after slamming into a piece of construction equipment left on the tracks.
Up to 40 cars were derailed, and flames as high as 200 feet were reportedly seen against the dark backdrop of a clear, but black, August sky. There were no reports of an explosion.
The train was carrying at least four chemicals, White Asbestos, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen and Sodium Hydroxide. The latter two were of particular concern to fire officials and emergency workers and caused the initial evacuation of 24 residences and 61 people in an eight-square mile area.
By 9 am, those numbers had swelled to 140 people and 43 homes, in an area bordered by Webb Road and 127th East and 71st South and 103d Street South.
Red Cross volunteers Ray and Nancy Scofield and Rene Stark were on the scene at 5 a.m.
"We've got cots set up for people who might want to rest and we've got coffee, juice, doughnuts and fresh fruit," said Nancy Scofield.
"Right now, there are six people here, including one child, which is the most we've had this morning. But we're here as long as we're needed."
KSN News Reporter Jason Kravarik said fire officials were not able to explain the existence of a piece of construction equipment on the track, although investigators are looking into the possibility it was placed there by vandals.
"They really haven't said much about it, other than it's a front-end loader or grader or something like that. They don't know for sure at this point," Kravarik said.
At 8 am, Kravarik said firefighters were still not putting any water in the fire.
"They're still trying to determine what chemical is burning and causing the fire. Right now, they're in the process of removing the railroad cars that are not burning," Kravarik reported.
KSN News Photographer Ben Chandler said traffic around the affected area was not a problem despite the rush-hour, most apparently heard media reports from the scene and chose alternate routes to work or to drop off children at school.
A command post was set up at Mulvane High School. School remained in session.
Two Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputies were treated and released from a local hospital after breathing one or more of the chemicals after arriving at the scene.
