Five killed after truck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashed in Illinois

Southern Illinois: In a tragic incident, five people have died and five injured after a semi-truck carrying gallons of toxic substances crashed on southern Illinois, said officials on Saturday.

The accident occurred late Friday night near the city of Teutopolis in Effingham County. According to sources, the semi-truck was carrying 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia when it crashed.

Due to the accident, at least 4,000 gallons were spilled, and about 500 people have been evacuated from the area, as stated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

The victims of the accident include two children under the age of 12, and three of the deceased were from the same family, according to information from the Effingham County Coroner’s office.

Five others who were seriously injured were airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The severity of the situation led to an evacuation within a one-mile radius of the crash site due to the release of ammonia fumes, as reported by state police.

Illinois state police received the distressing news of the accident, describing it as “involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck that is leaking anhydrous ammonia.”

While anhydrous ammonia is not classified as a poison and does not produce chronic effects on the human body with repeated exposure, it can be extremely irritating to the eyes, throat, and respiratory system even in small concentrations in the air, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). At very high levels, it may cause damage to the lungs.

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