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Police and rescue services blocked the Sävenäs train yard after an accident shortly after 4.30 in the morning in which two trains derailed after colliding during maneuvering, i.e. during handling and shifting of train carriages in the train yard.
– We have a great effort together with the rescue service and all accesses from Munkebäcksmotet to Sävenäs are closed, says Jens Christensen.
The rescue service works with 40 people from five stations and has two management vehicles on site together with the Swedish police, ambulance and Transport Administration. A large area has been cordoned off.
– We have to get to the place carefully. Now we move forward with a drone and then with people to check if everything seems calm. It is the precautionary principle that applies here, says Anders Helmborn, alarm and control operator at the rescue service in Greater Gothenburg.
One of the trains contains ethylene oxide, a toxic and flammable gas. Image: reader image
– We try to go ahead and seal or eliminate hazardous substances. And we bring expertise on the products in question, says Martin Berndtsson, on the management staff of the rescue service in Greater Gothenburg.
At 8.30 am the rescue service advanced towards the train cars with protective equipment.
The entrances to the E20 in Munkebäck are also blocked in connection with the work of the rescue service. Photo: Meli Petersson Ellafi
Big impact on traffic over a longer period of time
According to the salvage service, these are two wagons, one containing ethylene oxide and the other hydrogen peroxide, and it is not yet known whether the toxic and flammable gases have begun to leak from the wagon. There is no information yet on the amounts of hazardous substances in the wagons, but one of the wagons has been damaged at one end.
– There are no leaks, but if there is a leak, there is a high risk of explosion, says Martin Berndtsson of the rescue service.
– We now have a barrier with a radius of 600 meters, but that may change if it starts to leak from the wagons.
There is no information on personal injury related to the accident.
Neither the police nor the rescue service can respond when car and train traffic in the area can return to normal operation. The Stockholm and Gothenburg route are affected, including commuter train and freight train traffic.
– Traffic is currently completely blocked and will be for a while. It may probably take a few more hours and we cannot have a forecast until we have properly examined the tanker, says Anders Helmborn.
Long delays in public transport
The police also believe that the work can continue for a longer period of time.
– It is impossible to say when traffic can circulate at this time. But if you’ve started to lose gas, it can take a long time, says Jens Christensen.
According to the Swedish Transport Administration, there is one stop for all train traffic to and from Gothenburg Central. Bus and tram traffic has also been delayed due to the accident. There is no forecast when traffic will return to normal.
– Travelers can contact the respective train company for more information on replacement traffic, says Tomas Johansson, press officer at the Swedish Transport Administration.
According to the information, power was cut on parts of the Bohus line from Gothenburg Central, which also affects train traffic on that stretch.
Just before 7 a.m., the police announced that they had cordoned off an area within a 600-meter radius of the crash site. They have also decided to evacuate several buildings, including the Torpaskolan and Solgläntan preschools.
Facts: Hazardous Chemicals
Hydrogen peroxide is an important industrial chemical used to bleach products in the pulp, paper, and textile industries; it is also used to bleach hair. Hydrogen peroxide concentrated solutions in organic solvents and gas mixtures containing hydrogen peroxide vapors can be explosive.
Ethylene oxide or ethylene oxide is a colorless gas with a sweet odor that condenses into a liquid at 10.5 degrees. It is chemically very reactive and is used industrially on a large scale. It is also used for the sterilization of certain spices and medical equipment that cannot withstand heating (for example, disposable artificial kidneys).
Source: NE
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