Railroad Car Explodes in Mo.
SUGAR CREEK, Mo. --
A railroad car exploded in Sugar Creek early Saturday, sending flames more than 200 feet into the air.
No injuries were reported in the incident that happened at about 1:40 a.m. on railroad tracks near the BP refinery in Sugar Creek.
Officials said the car carrying toluene exploded and the flames spread to two other cars, one that contained animal lard and another car that was carrying oil. Firefighters said the burning oil caused a dark black cloud that people in the area reported seeing at daybreak on Saturday.
Investigators said they have been monitoring the air for toxins and said there was no reason to order any evacuations. They said the smoke was moving away from a populated area and that another car on the train that was carrying chlorine had not caught fire.
Firefighters said they planned to let the fire burn itself out, but they were watching carefully to make sure the flames didn't spread to any other cars. They said there were 110 railroad cars in the area at the time, but crews have moved some of those cars a safe distance away.
Investigators said they did not know what caused the explosion.
Toluene is commonly mixed with gasoline to produce a solvent. It has a strong chemical smell, similar to paint thinner.
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