Several vehicles, including a semi-truck carrying anhydrous ammonia, were involved in a crash on Friday in south central Illinois that resulted in a poisonous leak and a subsequent evacuation that left five people dead, according to authorities.
Around 9:25 p.m. C.T., Illinois State Police received a report of a collision on U.S. Highway 40 in Effingham County, about a half-mile east of Teutopolis. According to officials, the semi-truck carrying anhydrous ammonia started to leak after rolling in a ditch.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a combustible, “colorless, highly irritating gas that has a pungent, suffocating odor.” Humans exposed to the gas may experience irritation of the eyes, nose, and respiratory system, which may result in swelling and constriction of the throat, coughing, and “an accumulation of fluid in the lungs.”
When a hazmat team got on the site, they were only able to slow the leak down.
People within roughly a mile of the accident site on U.S. Highway 40, including parts of Teutopolis’ northeast, have been evacuated, according to a statement from the Illinois State Police. There is no stated timetable for the evacuation.
Five fatalities and five airlifted patients to other hospitals were reported by the Effingham County coroner’s office late on Saturday. The coroner’s office said that four local individuals perished along with two out-of-state victims. Police did not specify if the fatalities were due to the collision or the leak.
Between Teutopolis and Montrose, U.S. Highway 40 is shut down, and the accident’s cause is still being looked into.
The public is urged to stay away from the leak’s location by the Illinois State Police.
While first responders and emergency personnel continue to attend to the issue, crews are working to stop the leak, according to police.