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| Situation Update No. 1 Ref.no.: HZ-20100221-25016-USA
Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-02-21 at 14:23:41 [UTC]
Event: HAZMAT
Location: USA State of California Keene Number of Evacuated: 150 person(s)
Situation: A freight train derailed at a tunnel entrance near Bakersfield and a tanker car holding denatured alcohol erupted in flames, forcing the evacuation of several nearby homes, officials said Sunday. There were no injuries in the derailment at 9:30 p.m. Saturday on the well-known Tehachapi Loop near Keene, a small town about 15 miles east of Bakersfield, Kern County Fire Department spokesman Sean Collins said. Fire crews said just two of the long freight train's cars went off the Union Pacific tracks, and one of those cars carrying the volatile alcohol ruptured and caught fire. Collins said a toxic cloud surged from the flames and about eight homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution. A temporary shelter was set up at Tehachapi High School for evacuees and it wasn't immediately clear when they would be allowed to return to their homes. Rail crews separated the derailed cars from the rest of the train, while about 20 firefighters fought the blaze, which was confined to the tunnel entrance. Collins said crews couldn't see very well into the tunnel but believe that just one car was burning. He said the blaze was contained in the tunnel and firefighters were letting the fire burn itself out. Emergency personnel from the Kern County Sheriff and Environmental Health Agency as well as the California Highway Patrol and railroad staff responded to the accident. Collins said crews would remain on the scene through the night. |  | | | |
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