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The derailment happened around 5 a.m. CDT in Richmond, a town of
13,000 people about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of
Houston. No injuries were reported, Union Pacific spokesperson
Robynn Tysver said.
Two of the derailed cars began leaking ethanol after the
accident, said Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Justin Jurek. Both
leaks were later contained, he said.
Ethanol, typically made from corn, can be used as a fuel
additive.
“It is not posing a current threat to the public and air
monitoring is ongoing as a precaution. There’s no need for
evacuation at this time,” Jurek said.
A third derailed car leaked corn syrup, officials said. That
leak was also contained, Tysver said.
The derailment caused traffic delays for several hours in
Richmond and nearby Rosenberg. Traffic began to clear up after
several blocked railroad crossings were cleared.
There was no timeframe on how long the cleanup could take but
Union Pacific was “working as safely and as efficiently as
possible to clean up the site and reopen the crossings,” Tysver
said.
“The incident is under investigation,” she said.
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