Train that plunged into Montana’s Yellowstone River was carrying hot asphalt and molten sulphur

Seven rail cars ended up in waters near town of Columbus after bridge collapse

A freight train that derailed into Montana’s majestic Yellowstone River was carrying hot asphalt and molten sulphur, officials reported.

Three rail cars containing hot asphalt and four carrying molten sulfur plunged into the river near the town of Columbus on Saturday morning after a bridge collapsed, according to Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services.

Both substances solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, Montana Rail Link said in a statement.

Several train cars are immersed in the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., on Saturday, June 24, 2023 (AP)

Two other rail cars carrying sodium hydrogen sulfate remained out of the water and initial air quality tests found that no materials from these cars leaked, the rail company said.

Water treatment facilities in the cities of Laurel, Billings and Lockwood have shut down headgates due to the spill from the incident, and residents were being asked to conserve water.

MONTANA: A rail bridge collapsed early Saturday morning, sending several freight train cars crashing into the Yellowstone River. The train was carrying hazardous materials, but it remains unclear if any of those materials leaked. pic.twitter.com/wTpTCrW8nT

— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) June 25, 2023

David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services said there had been no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river.

“Multiple tanker cars were damaged and are leaking petroleum products near the Yellowstone River,” the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s office said earlier in a social media post.

“There is no immediate threat to Yellowstone County. Precautions are being put in place.”

Portions of a freight train are seen in the Yellowstone River after an overnight railroad bridge collapse, near Columbus, Mont., Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP)

An investigation into what caused the bridge to collapse is now underway. Investigators are looking at the bridge’s structural integrity and a record of its maintenance, repair and inspections, reported Fox News.

The site of the derailment is around 110 miles from Yellowstone National Park, the first national park established in the US in 1872.

The crash happened in the Yellowstone River Valley which is surrounded by farms and ranchland. The river flows away from the national park at this location.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said that parts of the Yellowstone and Stillwater Rivers are closed.

“On 24 June 2023 at approximately 0600 there was a train derailment on the rail bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Stillwater County Montana,” the agency said, in a statement.

“The bridge collapsed and there are multiple rail cars in the Yellowstone River. We have not determined the cause of the derailment,” said Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services.

The agency added that local and state emergency responders were coordinating with federal bodies.

Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) says the cities and irrigation canal companies are implementing protective measures due to the spill.

Sulphur is commonly used in fertiliser as well as an insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.