The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an inquiry into the Friday collision in Illinois that caused a cargo tank carrying 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia to overturn.
The cargo tank was involved in a "multiple" vehicle accident about a half-mile east of Teutopolis, Illinois, on U.S. Highway 40 around 9:25 p.m. authorities announced in a statement.
Five people were killed, while six more were hospitalized. The victims' identities have not been revealed.
According to an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency news release, the impact of the mishap caused the cargo tank to begin leaking, prompting the evacuation of 500 individuals.
NTSB board member Tom Chapman stated at a press conference Sunday afternoon that a preliminary investigation revealed the collision was triggered when the driver of a semi-truck drove to the right of the lane in response to another vehicle, according to CBS News.
According to Chapman, the truck rolled over, compromising the cargo tank containing the ammonia. The cargo tank was punctured after colliding with a parked utility trailer, allowing approximately half of the tank's 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia to spill.
The investigating team will be on the site for four to six days, and a preliminary report will be published in roughly 30 days. Final reports can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months to complete. Chapman urged witnesses or anybody with knowledge of the crash to contact the NTSB.
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Ammonia Spill
Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns told reporters earlier that there was a "large plume" from the ammonia spill.
An evacuation was ordered within a one-mile radius of the crash because the leak generated "terribly dangerous air conditions in the northeast area of Teutopolis," according to Kuhns. Effingham County stated that evacuation orders for several neighborhoods were removed Saturday evening.
Officials refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
According to Kuhns, the air conditions required emergency responders to "wait" and "mitigate the conditions" before they could "get actual access" to the disaster site. The incident site encompassed a "fairly large area," according to Kuhns, and the roadway between Teutopolis and Montrose remains closed.
In a statement posted Saturday on X, the social networking site formerly known as Twitter, the NTSB stated that it will examine the collision in collaboration with the Illinois State Police and the Effingham County Sheriff's Department.
Toxic anhydrous ammonia inhalation can be lethal in high quantities. Ammonia can also cause skin and eye burns, as well as severe respiratory problems. One officer at the news conference described the chemical as "terrible."
Teutopolis is a town of slightly more than 1,600 people located around 92 miles southeast of Springfield, Illinois, the state capital.
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