31 December 2015•Update: 31 December 2015
MELBOURNE, Australia
Australian police confirmed Thursday that sulfuric acid that leaked from a derailed freight train had impacted a creek in northwest Queensland.
Inspector Trevor Kidd, a police official in Mount Isa city, told the Australian Associated Press that “there has been some impact on the waterways" after Sunday’s accident during heavy wet season rains.
All 26 of the wagons of the train, which was transporting 819,000 liters of the highly corrosive substance, had come off the tracks around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) east of the outback town of Julia Creek.
Around 31,500 liters of sulfuric acid is believed to have leaked from a carriage.
“It's been leaking around the wreckage and into Horse Creek from the site,” he said. “Initially there was no impact on the creek but more recently there's been some impact.”
He underlined that with the possibility of more rainfall, the acid could disperse across flat flood plains around the creek.
According to AAP, limestone will be dropped on contaminated areas by helicopter to neutralize the chemical, while sandbags will be used to prevent its spread.
Heavy monsoon rains had hindered emergency services and cleanup efforts.
Three drivers for Aurizon, the country’s largest rail freight firm, had sustained injuries in Sunday’s accident but have been released from a nearby hospital.
An investigation into the accident and whether flooding played a role is ongoing.
