5 killed in Illinois tanker truck crash apparently died from ammonia exposure: Coroner
Exposure to anhydrous ammonia apparently caused the deaths of five people when a tanker truck loaded with the hazardous material overturned Friday night in Illinois. Exposure to anhydrous ammonia apparently caused the deaths of five people, including two children, when a tanker truck loaded with the hazardous material overturned on a highway Friday night in a rural Illinois community, according to preliminary findings from the local coroner's office. At least seven other people from six different states were also treated at hospitals after being overcome by what authorities described as a "large plume cloud" that was released when the tanker truck spilled its load on a highway east of Teutopolis, Illinois, Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said in a statement Sunday evening. Autopsies are scheduled to be performed Monday morning on the victims to confirm the preliminary findings, Rhodes said. Emergency responders set up a staging area near Teutopolis High School, Sept. ...