Ukrainian railway accident generates huge phosphor cloud
{{date|July 17, 2007}}
{{Ukraine}}
An alarm for heavy chemical pollution has been issued in the [[w:Lviv|Lviv]] region, [[Ukraine]], where yesterday evening a railway disaster led to a fire involving 15 containers of liquid yellow [[w:Phosphorus|phosphorus]]. 

Extinguishing the fire proved extremely difficult because water cannot be used: in contact with phosphorus, water creates poisonous gas. It took six hours before the flames were extinguished. Gas was generated nonetheless, and at the moment the poisoned area extends about 90 sq. km. The casualties count is already heavy: 20 people are reported injured, 13 of them in critical condition. They have been carried to the Lviv hospital. ''[[w:Podrobnosti|Podrobnosti]]'' reports that the fire started when one of the containers started to leak and the phosphor caught fire.
[[Image:Lviv-Ukraine-Map.png|left|thumb|Map highlighting Lviv and the Lviv Oblast.]]
The poisoned area includes 14 villages. From the five villages that are closer to the disaster area some 800 people have already been evacuated. Half of the evacuees had to manage on their own as there was not enough public transport for all.

At the moment there is no available data about the wind direction or next expected movements of the phosphorus cloud. Special firemen units remain on place to control the possibility of a new fire, while the administration of the [[w:Lviv Oblast|Lviv Oblast]] tries to forecast the possible short- and mid-term evolution of the situation. 

The Ukrainian Railways have officially excluded the possibility of a terrorist act as a cause for the disaster.

''Podrobnosti'' reports the deadly dose of yellow phosphor at  0.1 g. According to that source, when poisoning living beings, phosphor causes liver necrosis and attacks the bones and spinal cord. 

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://eng.i-iter.org/chemical-chernobyl|title=A chemical Chernobyl?|author=Bèrto 'd Sèra|pub=i-iter|date=July 17, 2007}} ([[w:Creative Commons licenses|CC-BY-3.0]])
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071700253.html
|title=Toxic Cloud Follows Ukraine Derailment
|author=Natasha Lisova, [[Associated Press|AP]]
|pub=The Washington Post
|date=July 17, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=130484&cid=1|title=При тушении цистерн с фосфором пострадали 20 спасателей|author=|pub=vesti.ru|date=July 17, 2007|lang=Russian}}
*{{source|url=http://www.podrobnosti.com.ua/accidents/casualties/2007/07/17/441075.html|title=Укрзалізниця исключает диверсию на Львовской железной дороге|author=|pub=Podrobnosti|date=July 17, 2007|lang=Ukrainian}}
*{{source|url=http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=130484&cid=1#|title=При тушении цистерн с фосфором пострадали 20 спасателей|author=|pub=vesti.ru|date=July 17, 2007|lang=Russian}}
*{{source|url=http://www.podrobnosti.com.ua/accidents/casualties/2007/07/17/441028.html|title=Пожар на месте аварии поезда до сих пор не ликвидирован|author=|pub=Podrobnosti|date=July 17, 2007|lang=Ukrainian}}
*{{source|url=http://www.vesti.ru/photo.html?id=130484|title=При тушении цистерн с фосфором пострадали 20 спасателей|author=|pub=vesti.ru|date=July 17, 2007|lang=Russian}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}

[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Ukraine]]
[[Category:Fires]]
[[Category:Rail transport]]

[[es:Un accidente de tren en Ucrania genera una enorme nube de fósforo]]
An alarm for heavy chemical pollution has been issued in the Lviv region, Ukraine, where yesterday evening a railway disaster led to a fire involving 15 containers of liquid yellow phosphorus. 

Extinguishing the fire proved extremely difficult because water cannot be used: in contact with phosphorus, water creates poisonous gas. It took six hours before the flames were extinguished. Gas was generated nonetheless, and at the moment the poisoned area extends about 90 sq. km. The casualties count is already heavy: 20 people are reported injured, 13 of them in critical condition. They have been carried to the Lviv hospital. Podrobnosti reports that the fire started when one of the containers started to leak and the phosphor caught fire.
Map highlighting Lviv and the Lviv Oblast.
The poisoned area includes 14 villages. From the five villages that are closer to the disaster area some 800 people have already been evacuated. Half of the evacuees had to manage on their own as there was not enough public transport for all.

At the moment there is no available data about the wind direction or next expected movements of the phosphorus cloud. Special firemen units remain on place to control the possibility of a new fire, while the administration of the Lviv Oblast tries to forecast the possible short- and mid-term evolution of the situation. 

The Ukrainian Railways have officially excluded the possibility of a terrorist act as a cause for the disaster.

Podrobnosti reports the deadly dose of yellow phosphor at  0.1 g. According to that source, when poisoning living beings, phosphor causes liver necrosis and attacks the bones and spinal cord.
Disasters and accidents Transport Europe Ukraine Fires Rail transport