Trenton Train Car Derailment: At Least 30 Evacuated, Potentially Explosive Ammonium Nitrate Leaked

About 30 people were evacuated within a 1.5 mile radius of a train, whose 15 cars derailed on Friday in Trenton, South Carolina. One of the cars was reportedly carrying ammonium nitrate, which can be used in explosives, and had spilled after the derailment while another was reportedly carrying anhydrous ammonia, but did not spill.

Eyewitnesses to the incident said, according to NBC News, that the derailment happened after a tree fell on the tracks. Derrick Becker, public information officer for the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, said, according to the Associated Press (AP), that nobody was hurt during the accident. Aiken County Hazmat officials responded to the incident involving the 39-car train, but did not find any harmful spills, AP reported.

Officials said there was no danger to the public at the time and added it will take them until Saturday to clean the spill caused by the accident. Residents in the Edgefield County -- near the derailment site -- were asked to evacuate to Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, WAGT 26, a local news network, reported.

Both ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia are generally used in fertilizers but the former is potentially explosive.