Near-disaster in the Czech Republic Freight train fire with toxic benzene under control
The fire is now under control.
Image: dpa
The police are now investigating on suspicion of reckless endangerment.
Image: dpa
The fire is now under control.
Image: dpa
The police are now investigating on suspicion of reckless endangerment.
Image: dpa
One day after the derailment of a freight train carrying carcinogenic benzene in the Czech Republic, the fire department has the blaze under control. "During the night, we guarded the site of the fire and eliminated small outbreaks," the fire department spokesman told the Noviny.cz portal.
01.03.2025, 14:57
01.03.2025, 16:35
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- A freight train carrying toxic and flammable benzene derailed in the Czech Republic on Friday.
- One day after the derailment, the fire department has the fire under control.
- So far, no critical concentrations of hazardous substances have been measured in the air or in nearby watercourses, according to reports.
The police are now investigating on suspicion of reckless endangerment, a spokeswoman told the CTK news agency. The freight train reportedly passed the town of Hustopece nad Becvou in the east of the country at around 11.30 a.m. on Friday. "When passing a signal and a switch near the station building (...) the locomotive was uncoupled from the rest of the train, which consisted of 17 wagons, for reasons that are still unknown," the police spokeswoman said.
Derailed tank wagons catch fire
Several tank wagons then derailed and some of the chemicals being transported caught fire for reasons that are still unknown. "At least 14 wagons of the train were affected by the fire," said the police spokeswoman. The fire department had previously spoken of 15 wagons. According to the police, the fire also affected the operating facilities of the railroad line and the adjacent area. The locomotive did not catch fire and was able to drive to the station in Hustopece nad Becvou under its own power.
According to the police spokeswoman, the damage caused was estimated at around 4.5 million francs, while the fire department estimated a slightly higher figure of 4.7 million francs. No one was injured in the major fire.
Dangerous chemicals
Benzene is a volatile organic compound that can have a carcinogenic effect on humans. It can also cause acute damage to health. Benzene is an important raw material in the chemical industry and is used in the production of dyes, plastics, synthetic resins and solvents, among other things.
Hustopece nad Becvou is located around 250 kilometers east of Prague and has a population of just under 1800 euros. It is not the first accident of its kind in the Czech Republic. In January 2017, benzene leaked from a damaged tank wagon of a freight train in Studenka. However, the substance did not ignite back then.