Airborne toxic event

Lviv, Ukraine

A train carrying toxic yellow phosphorus derailed in western Ukraine this week, releasing a cloud of poisonous gas over 35 square miles. Phosphorus, used in fertilizers and pesticides, can catch fire spontaneously when exposed to air and causes liver damage if consumed. Hundreds of villagers were evacuated from the contaminated area, and 20 were hospitalized. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk, who rushed to the site, compared the accident to the 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. “A disaster has happened. After the Chernobyl catastrophe we are dealing with a case that can pose a real threat for our people,” said Kuzmuk. “It is an extraordinary event with unpredictable consequences.”