Hydrochloric Acid Leak Prompts Evacuation of Kentucky Town

FULTON, Ky. – A railroad tanker that was leaking hydrochloric acid forced the evacuation Thursday of much of this far western Kentucky town along the Tennessee border, authorities said.

The leak had not yet been contained, said Donna Cook, dispatch supervisor for Fulton police and fire.

There were no reports of injuries in the town of about 2,500 people, she said.

The evacuation covered a half-mile radius and included a high school and elementary school, she said. Students were taken to a high school just across the state line in South Fulton, Tenn.

Shelters were set up at a church and a senior citizens center, she said.