The Associated Press
CRAWFORD, Texas — A train derailed and spilled a hazardous liquid Tuesday night, prompting about half the population of Crawford to temporarily evacuate, officials said.
President Bush’s ranch is about 20 miles away from the town and is not near the area evacuated. Bush was not at the ranch at the time of the spill.
More than 300 people were told to stay away from their homes for about four hours before they were allowed to return at 10 p.m., said Crawford Police Chief Donnie Tidmore.
No injuries were reported after the train spilled vinyl acetate, said Joe Faust, spokesman for BNSF Railway.
“We’re monitoring the air and the air is clear right now, so we’re OK on that front,” Tidmore said by phone from the scene.
The industrial chemical is a colorless liquid and is highly flammable, according to a report on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site. The chemical is used to make other industrial chemicals in products such as glues, paints, papers and plastics films.
The cause of the derailment was under investigation.
“One of the train engineers said he saw one of the cars starting to wobble and everything went from there,” Tidmore said.
About 700 people live in Crawford, a central Texas city about 15 miles west of Waco.