5 Killed In IL Truck Crash

TEUTOPOLIS, IL — Five people died and several others were injured Friday in a central Illinois crash involving several vehicles, including a tanker truck hauling anhydrous ammonia, according to authorities and reports.

The crash happened on U.S. Highway 40 about a half-mile east of Teutopolis in Effingham County around 9:25 p.m., officials told NBC News. A tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia rolled into a ditch during the crash and spilled more than half of its 7,500-gallon load, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Illinois EPA officials confirmed the number of fatalities and reported multiple other injuries.

Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said the five dead included three from the same family — one adult and two children under 12. The other two were adult motorists from out of state, Rhodes said.

Names of the victims were not released, nor would authorities discuss causes of death.

Additionally, five people were airlifted to hospitals. Their conditions are unknown.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a clear, colorless toxic gas. If humans come in contact with anhydrous ammonia, it can cause eye, nose and respiratory tract irritation and lead to swelling and narrowing of the throat, coughing and fluid in the lungs.

Around 500 people were evacuated from the area following the crash, the Illinois EPA said. The evacuation order is expected to remain in place through Sunday morning.

"Due to the plume from the ammonia leak, people within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash on U.S. Highway 40, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis, have been evacuated," Illinois State Police said in a statement provided to NBC News.

Emergency crews worked overnight Saturday trying to control the plume from the leak and struggled to get near the crash site.

"We have a lot of brave firemen, EMT, hazmat specialists, police officers that are working on this scene as we speak," Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said at a Saturday morning news conference.

Private and federal environmental contractors, summoned to recommend a cleanup procedure, were en route to Teutopolis, a town of 1,600 about 110 miles northeast of St. Louis.

The National Transportation Safety Board will review the crash, spokesperson Jennifer Gabris told The Associated Press.

As of midday Saturday, the accident scene was still heavily blockaded. Kuhns apologized for any inconvenience from the investigation and the evacuation.

"I understand how frustrating that would be to not be allowed to travel or to go back home, but we really need to focus our resources on the spill and on the situation," Kuhns said. "So if people can have as much patience, that's what I would ask for."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.