Another freight train, this one owned by Union Pacific Railroad (UP), has exploded in a Nebraska railyard, sending up massive plumes of toxic perchloric acid.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred in the city of North Platte in the early afternoon hour of September 14, prompting an evacuation order for a four-mile radius around the city.
“Emergency evacuation for the area between splinter and front North of railroad track due fire at the railroad involving heavy toxic smoke,” reads a social media post from the North Platte Volunteer Fire Department.
Later in the afternoon, North Platte VFD shared an update that the explosion occurred at approximately 12:10 pm, and was extinguished later that same evening.
The incident occurred at North Platte’s Bailey Yard inside a stationary container aboard a railcar. The ignition of perchloric acid caused several nearby railcars to catch fire.
“No Union Pacific personnel were injured, and our employees have been safely evacuated,” UP spokesperson Robynn Tysver told the North Platte Telegraph.
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