In what can only be described as the latest in an inexplicable uptick in propane-related incidents across America, an 18-wheeler carrying massive quantities of the volatile gas rolled over this afternoon in Calloway Co., KY, shortly before bursting into flames, reports local news station KFVS12.
Police were forced to close the 5000 block of Murray-Paris Road and evacuate several homes in the area. People are reportedly still being asked to avoid the area until it has been deemed safe by authorities and emergency responders.
The incident is only the latest in a string of propane-related fires or explosions which have bedeviled the country over the past few months.
This has Americans understandably concerned, as over eight million homes are powered by the gas. People want to know if they’re running their homes on something potentially unsafe.
Just last week, firefighters and police responded to the scene of another propane truck crash in Callaway, MN, where a tanker truck collided with a freight train and caught fire.
The crash and explosion caused the train to derail, according to the Star Tribune.
The driver of the truck, Biya Abdella Buta, 31, was not injured in the crash. However, the two-member crew of the Canadian Pacific freight train both suffered minor injuries.
Fire from the crash and the threat of additional explosions prompted authorities to temporarily evacuate the area.
Authorities are looking into potential criminal charges for the driver, who, Twin Cities reports apparently displayed negligence in the leadup to the crash.
Onboard video from the train recovered last Friday proves that the crew aboard the train sounded the horn and did everything in their power to alert the truck driver and slow down the train.
Over the weekend, Gov. Mark Dayton traveled to Callaway to view the scene of the crash and meet with officials, townspeople, and representatives from the railroad company. He used the incident as an opportunity to call attention to hazardous material safety in America.
“We have a lot more flammable materials moving on our rail system across the state, and so we really need to catch up,” he told reporters.