Residents in a rural southern Illinois town have been cleared to return home following a traffic accident that resulted in a large anhydrous ammonia leak Friday evening.
The multi-vehicle collision on Route 40 near Teutopolis overturned a semi-truck carrying 7500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia. Around 500 people in the area were evacuated due to dangerous air conditions until the tanker was drained, patched and moved to a secure location.
So far, five confirmed deaths and several injuries have been reported linked to the accident and anhydrous ammonia exposure.
