ATLANTA — Eight cars of a 79-car train derailed Saturday, and at least one car was leaking a hazardous chemical, officials said. The rail line is near a major water reservoir, a wire service reported.
Fire officials evacuated about 100 people from three residential streets near the derailment, CSX spokesman Craig Camuso said. Hazardous materials specialists were at the site Saturday afternoon.
The railroad spokesman said the five cars on the train carried a corrosive chemical used in the production of nylon. The substance, hexamethylenediamine, can cause burns to respiratory tracts, eyes and skin.
Whether any spilled chemicals reached the Atlanta Reservoir was not immediately known.
Four people who were near the spill in northwest Atlanta were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
The train was traveling from New Orleans to Hamlet, N.C., CSX said.