Railyard Explosion in Nebraska Isn't Expected to Create Any Lingering Problems, Authorities Say
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska authorities said they don't expect any lingering problems related to Thursday's explosion of a railroad shipping container carrying an acid used to make explosives because the chemical largely burned off and any residue was contained at the scene.
No one was injured in the blast at Union Pacific's massive railyard in North Platte, and no structures were damaged. A precautionary evacuation of a one-mile area right around the fire only involved a few farmsteads for several hours because the fire happened in the west end of the railyard near the edge of town. The fire didn't even spread beyond the shipping container on top of the one that exploded to the rest of the parked train.
North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson said Friday this was the best-case scenario for an incident like this because of its isolated location and the quick response from his hazardous materials team and other agencies, including the railroad's own experts. A team from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency that happened to be passing through the area on the way to a training session in Western Nebraska even stopped to offer their expertise.
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