Massive Fire After Train Derails in Dupo, Illinois

Massive Fire After Train Derails in Dupo, Illinois
A resident watches as a firetruck arrives in downtown Dupo, Ill. to help fight a tanker fire from a derailed train on Sept. 10. 2019. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Jack Phillips
9/10/2019
Updated:
9/10/2019

A train derailed in Dupo, Illinois, triggering a large fire and response effort.

Local news outlets reported that the train derailment took place in the Union Pacific’s Dupo Yard near Carondelet Avenue, between Adams Road and Main Road.

Union Pacific workers and firefighters stage at the scene of a tanker fire from a derailed train near downtown Dupo, Ill. on Sept. 10. 2019. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Union Pacific workers and firefighters stage at the scene of a tanker fire from a derailed train near downtown Dupo, Ill. on Sept. 10. 2019. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
“First responders are on scene of a multiple train car derailment on Carondelet Ave in Dupo. We will post updates as they become available,” St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency wrote on Facebook.

Dupo is located south of St. Louis, Missouri.

Union Pacific issued a statement about the incident.

A Union Pacific Railroad sits on a track in a rail yard, Monday, July 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
A Union Pacific Railroad sits on a track in a rail yard, Monday, July 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“Around 12:45 p.m., a derailment occurred in Union Pacific’s Dupo Yard near Carondelet Avenue between Main and Adams Road. Both crossings are closed. The train was being built for departure at the time of the derailment, which caused a tank car to catch fire. Initial information from the scene indicates that the tank car contains a flammable liquid called methyl isobutyl ketone. It is typically used as a solvent,” the company wrote, Fox2Now reported.
A train derailed in Dupo, Illinois, triggering a large fire and response effort. (Google Maps)
A train derailed in Dupo, Illinois, triggering a large fire and response effort. (Google Maps)

The firm said it is working with first responders to extinguish the blaze.

“Our yard and nearby intermodal ramp were safely evacuated. At this time, no injuries have been reported,” the company said.

Vertex Chemical Corporation is located near the crash scene.

Fox2 reported that firefighters are working to prevent the spread of the fire to the chemical company.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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