Derailed Train in Oklahoma Spills Toxic Chemical, Spurs Evacuations

Dozens of residents of a small Oklahoma city were temporarily evacuated early on June 13 after a train derailed and spilled a hazardous chemical, officials said.

The train went off the tracks at around 2 a.m. in Wynnewood, a community about 65 miles south of Oklahoma City, according to BNSF Railway spokeswoman Amy Casas. No one was hurt in the derailment, she said.

Two of the 11 derailed cars began leaking sodium hydrosulfide onto railway property, leading the local fire department to order nearby residents to evacuate, Casas said. The chemical compound is toxic, flammable and potentially combustible.

Wynnewood fire chief Austin Giltner said about 75 people evacuated their homes at around 3 a.m. and were able to return by 8:30 a.m.

The leak has been contained on railroad property and there is no ongoing threat to public safety, Casas and Giltner said. Company response teams and local officials are working to address the spill and the cause of the derailment is under investigation.

Casas said the derailment wan’t near any waterways, but she didn’t know how much of the chemical had spilled.