Graniteville train disaster
 |
|
| Date | January 6, 2005 |
|---|---|
| Time | Around 2:40 am |
| Location | Graniteville, South Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Type of incident | Collision |
| Cause | Incorrectly aligned railroad switch |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 9 |
| Injuries | 250+ |
The Graniteville train crash was an American rail disaster that occurred on January 6, 2005, in Graniteville, South Carolina. At roughly 2:40am EST, two Norfolk Southern trains collided near the Avondale Mills plant in Graniteville. NS local P22 (lead engine GP59 #4622) was parked on a siding near the Avondale Mills plant. NS freight train 192 (lead engine SD60 #6653), which was transporting chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide and cresol, was diverted by an improperly lined railroad switch onto the siding and collided with P22.
The collision derailed both lead engines, 16 of 192's 42 freight cars, and one of P22's freight cars. One of 192's tank cars (loaded with 90 tons of chlorine) ruptured, releasing about 60 tons of the gas. About 30% of the load was recovered by industrial responders. Nine people died (eight at the time of the accident, one later as a result of chlorine inhalation), and at least 250 people were treated for chlorine exposure. In total, 5,400 residents within one mile (1.6 km) of the crash site were forced to evacuate for nearly two weeks while HAZMAT teams and cleanup crews decontaminated the area.
Nine people lost their lives in the Graniteville train disaster on the day of the accident:
On April 21, 2005, one more death was attributed to the accident. Leonard Mathis, a brick mason in Graniteville, was driving home from a convenience store just after the accident occurred. As he was traveling home, he passed through a portion of the chlorine cloud that resulted from the collision. His health deteriorated from that point on.
Norfolk Southern announced that it expected the disaster to cost between $US 30 and $40 million, including the corporation's self-insurance retention under its insurance policies and other uninsured costs, but not any fines or penalties that might be imposed.
...
Wikipedia