Train Derails on Wisconsin River Forcing 50,000 to Flee Toxic Spill

A derailed freight train tank car plunged off a 135-foot-high river trestle and ruptured Tuesday, spilling thousands of gallons of benzene and forcing at least 50,000 people in two states to flee the resulting cloud of toxic vapor, officials said.

At least 25 people were taken to hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and about 260 National Guard and Army Reserve troops were mobilized.

The spill occurred when 14 cars of a Burlington Northern freight train derailed on the Nemadji River in Superior, Wis. The river flows into Superior Bay, which separates Duluth and Superior. The Coast Guard placed a boom across the bay to prevent the chemical from spreading on the water, but a low-hanging cloud spread just above the surface.

Roads into the two cities were closed, and outbound lanes were jammed with cars leaving the area. Precautionary evacuations were ordered as far as 20 miles west of Duluth as officials tried to guess where the vapor might spread.

Authorities lifted the evacuation order in midafternoon, except for an area within about a mile of the spill site, after rain helped clear the vapor from the air.

Benzene is a flammable liquid used as a solvent and in making plastics, insecticides, detergents and paints. The vapor was not considered life-threatening, but people exposed to it complained of dizziness, headaches and burning eyes and skin.