Officials in Illinois responded to the report of a crash involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck carrying roughly 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia.
A collision in Illinois involving a tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia left five dead and others in the hospital after 4,000 gallons of the chemical leaked from the semi.
Officials in Teutopolis, Illinois, responded to the report of a crash involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck carrying roughly 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia on Friday night, Illinois State Police said in a statement.
The county coroner, Kim Rhodes, identified five victims of the crash and though no official cause of death has been announced, she said preliminary findings point to exposure to the chemical as the cause of death for all five victims, CNN reported.
The victims included three adults and two children, identified by the coroner as: Kenneth Bryan, 34, Rosie Bryan, 7, Walker Bryan, 10, Vasile Cricovan, 31, and Danny J. Smith, 67, according to CNN.
Several others were hospitalized due to the incident and five individuals had to be airlifted to a hospital following the chemical leak, CNN reported.
Due to the ammonia leak, officials evacuated an estimated 500 residents from the surrounding area and have been working with a hazmat crew to remove the chemical that leaked and patch the tanker to stop further leaks while they clear the crash site, according to the statement.
“IDPH is working with our local health department partner to monitor the situation and provide needed support,” said IDPH director, Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We remind residents to ventilate their homes upon return. If they detect unusual odors, they should leave immediately and call 911.”
Anhydrous ammonia can irritate the eyes, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin if exposed to it for a short time, according to the Centers for Disease Control. If inhaled, individuals could experience nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pains depending on concentration and exposure to the chemical.
Officials worked through the night to clean, patch, and remove the leaking tanker from the area to bring it to a secure location where it will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, CNN reported.
