Home / Disasters and Accidents / SC Train Derailment Spurs Hazmat Alert, Evacuations
SC Train Derailment Spurs Hazmat Alert, Evacuations
11 Jan
Summary
- Train derailed near Summerville, triggering hazmat response and evacuation fears.
- A tank car, possibly carrying chlorobenzene, initially raised concerns.
- The tank car was confirmed empty; no chemical leak occurred, and the order was lifted.
A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Summerville, South Carolina, on January 11, 2026. The incident triggered a hazmat alert and a temporary shelter-in-place order for residents within a 1.5-mile radius due to fears of a chemical spill.
Officials initially identified a tank car that could have been carrying chlorobenzene, a flammable industrial chemical. However, emergency crews later confirmed the tank car was empty, and no chemical leak occurred, alleviating immediate public danger.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted later in the afternoon. Highway 78 remained closed for cleanup and remediation efforts, with the cause of the derailment under investigation.
