CSX Train Derails in Kentucky, Spills Molten Sulfur

A CSX freight train derailed in rural Todd County, Kentucky, early Tuesday morning, spilling molten sulfur from one car and prompting a temporary shelter-in-place order for the nearby city of Trenton, authorities reported. The incident, which involved 31 cars, occurred around 6:30 a.m. local time about one mile west of downtown Trenton, near the Tennessee border, with no injuries or damage to surrounding properties.

Local emergency management issued the order as a precaution after the derailment caused a leak of the hazardous chemical, which ignited and produced a plume of smoke. The shelter-in-place, covering a half-mile radius around the site, was lifted by 11 a.m. after air quality tests confirmed the area was safe. "When the train derailed, the molten sulfur spill and fire caused a plume of smoke at the scene," said Ash Groves, Todd County emergency management director. Groves noted that CSX's hazmat team quickly contained the leak, and sampling both at the car and farther away showed no hazardous levels of sulfur dioxide or other irritants.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear addressed the situation on social media, stating, "There has been a train derailment in Todd County, and...