'Major incident' declared as train derails in Llangennech
26 August 2020
A freight train carrying diesel derailed and burst into flames leaving 300 people evacuated from their homes.
Emergency services were called to the scene on the tracks at Llangennech, near Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire at around 23:20pm on Wednesday night following an explosion.
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Dyfed Powys Police evacuated hundreds of homes which were within a radius of the fire and roads surrounding the area remain closed.
Police declared a "major incident" due to the "initial risk of harm” to the public.
No injuries have been reported and the two train drivers are unharmed and are being supported.
The freight train was pulling 25 tank wagons, each containing up 75 tonnes of diesel or gas oil from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, to Theale, near Reading.
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Some of the diesel has spilled into River Loughor.
The blaze continued into the morning
Locals took to twitter to share images and their concerns
People living nearby the fire described seeing "plumes of smoke" and seeing flames from the tracks.
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On Twitter a local resident Liz Williams, described the smell of diesel in the air "harsh on the lungs".
Louise Perkins, who was evacuated, said she grabbed some stuff and rushed from her home with her children in the middle of the night.
"As we left it was just fire - you could see like balls of it puffing up, and the smell of diesel.
"I told my children not to panic, but my youngest was really upset,”she added.
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Those who were evacuated have since been allowed back, but many had to locate to friends and family in the area or take cover in the local community centre.
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Sandra Thomas was woken up by police knocking on her door
Sandra Thomas, who lives on Pontarddulais Road, Llangennech, was up all night after being forced to leave her home.
She had to go to the local community centre as she has no family in the area.
She said: “ I was terrified being woken up by the police knocking on my door.
"I don't feel 100% safe in case it sparks off again and the rest of the tankers go up.”
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Emergency services addressed upcoming issues in a press conference at the scene
A police officer from Dyfed Powys Police said:" It's important that we ensure that all residents are kept safe. We are working closely with Natural Resources Wales and other emergency services to make sure that the residents are kept safe and informed of any changes to the area."
British Transport Police and Natural Resources Wales said their priorities, once they are able to access the site, were the fire itself and making the scene safe, as well as the environmental issues resulting from the spill.