Derailed Train In Australia Is Possibly Leaking Up To 31,500 Liters Of Sulphuric Acid; Floods Hinder Cleanup Operations
A derailed train in northern Australia on Sunday that was initially reported to be carrying 200,000 liters of sulphuric acid, was actually found to be transporting approximately 819,000 liters of the corrosive substance, reported CNN on Tuesday.
The police have confirmed that all 26 wagons of the train, owned by Aurizon, came off the tracks in a northern Queensland remote area, about 20 kilometers east of the town of Julia Creek on Sunday morning due to uncertain causes. Police Inspector Trevor Kidd, however, noted the soft mud on the site of the crash.
"You have to take into account it's remote, it's impacted heavily by weather, access is quite difficult, and these are the challenges the responders are facing at the moment," Kidd said.
Fortunately, the three men aboard the train suffered only minor injuries.
Authorities also believe that one of the freight cars may have been wrecked causing a leak of up to 31,500 liters of sulphuric acid.
According to ABC on Tuesday, Kidd stated that the authorities would examine the discrepancies and possibilities of other ruptured cargos causing any leakage.
"Either way, it's a substantial amount of sulphuric acid," said Kidd.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection have confirmed that initial tests indicated no adverse effects on the Horse Creek waterways that was near the site of the accident.
"No other ruptured carriages have been identified as leaking at this stage," noted a police statement.
Authorities declared a state of emergency on the site and established a two-kilometer exclusion zone around the perimeter, which is expected to remain at least until Thursday.
A cleanup operation was planned by authorities, with teams working on the site, but weather conditions and flash floods are making it difficult to work on the remote location, noted The Guardian on Monday.
"It is some significant distance from major waterways and any major infrastructure, so we do have something going our way as far as that goes," stated Kidd. "But it is certainly challenging to make an effective assessment at this stage."
