Acrylonitrile Fumes Kill One In Belgium

A 64-year-old man died and 116 other nearby residents were taken to the hospital as a result of exposure to fumes from burning acrylonitrile after a train carrying the chemical derailed and caught fire near Wetteren, Belgium. Hydrogen cyanide is generated when acrylonitrile burns. The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, May 4, as the train was traveling from the Netherlands to the port of Ghent in Belgium. The acrylonitrile was made by DSM and was being transported in tank cars leased by the firm. “We deeply regret the incident,” DSM says. Authorities are still investigating the cause.