A freight train, carrying phosphorus, derailed Monday evening in Lviv district in Ukraine, causing a fire and contaminating the area around 14 villages. A total of 15 tank wagon overturned and six of them caught fire.
According to the information of the Ministry of Emergency, subdivisions of the western operations headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 13th army corps, and “West” air headquarters were brought to readiness. A special operative group, headed by general lieutenant Ivan Svyda, commander of the Land Forces of the western region of Ukraine, was set up immediately after the catastrophe.
As of 9.00 a.m. of 17 July, 20 people were reported poisoned. All of them have been hospitalized. Another 815 citizens were evacuated from 6 near-by settlements.
The train was traveling from Kazakhstan to Poland.
Rescuers extinguished the fire late Monday but continued to work at the site.
