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American Morning
Baltimore Fights Train Derailment Fire
Aired July 19, 2001 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to start with a story that has been breaking out of Baltimore since yesterday. We're beginning with the big cleanup that's still taking place in Baltimore. A freight train which was carrying hazardous materials that caught fire in a tunnel is still smoldering this morning, but things are getting back to normal after the accident that shut down the city last night. Highways and streets were closed, and an Orioles game at Camden Yards was postponed.
Our Elaine Quijano has more on the accident and its aftermath.
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ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... this train tunnel fire is contained, but as you can see behind me, it is still smoldering. This, after a train carried hazardous materials somehow caught fire.
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QUIJANO (voice-over): Firefighters battled through the night, working cautiously to reach the burning CSX train. Thick smoke and the threat of potentially dangerous chemical fumes made their job difficult.
BALTIMORE MAYOR MARTIN O'MALLEY: We started to attack the fire from the south end of the tunnel and unfortunately came upon some of the tanker cars that were leaking hazardous materials. So we had to pull our firefighters out, and...
QUIJANO: The fire broke out while the freight train was passing through a tunnel in downtown Baltimore, just after 3:00 Wednesday afternoon. As heavy black smoke poured out of the tunnel nearby, an Oriole's evening baseball game was postponed, Camden Yards evacuated, and residents urged to stay inside their homes. For a time, the fire also shut down all major roads into the city.
O'MALLEY: Shortly after it started, it caused other damage to other things that run through that tunnel, namely a 40-inch water main.
QUIJANO: CSX railroad officials said the train was carrying various chemicals, including hydrochloric acid. As for what caused the fire, railroad officials said only that it appeared to be concentrated in the front of the train and that, at 3:10 p.m. Eastern time, emergency brakes were applied.
ROBERT GOULD, CSX SPOKESPERSON: Three locomotives were involved and 60 cars. The three locomotives were pulled out of the tunnel at the start of the incident. So we've got 60 cars in the tunnel, eight of which contain hazardous materials product.
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QUIJANO: Two firefighters did suffer minor injuries; however, the two crew members on board the train were not hurt.
In Baltimore, I'm Elaine Quijano. Now back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Elaine, thank you.
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