Graniteville, SC (WLTX) - One of the worst train disasters in South Carolina history occurred on January 6, 2005 in Graniteville.
Even though it has been over 13 years since the train crash and chlorine leak, residents of the small Aiken County town of Graniteville have not forgotten the accident.
During the early morning hours of January 6, 2005, a Norfolk Southern train collided with a parked train near the Avondale Mills plant.
One of the trains cars ruptured and released chlorine gas. The leak released 160,000 pounds of the toxic gas. Many of the residents we spoke to had stories of that morning, but most said it was still too painful to talk about.
Josie Widner said, "I heard something like a whistling tea kettle and I got up and started outside and people started hollering get in quick it's chemicals."
She said, "I ran back in and called 911, they said stay in the house, keep your doors shut and your windows shut and everything."
Widner and her husband Clyde live about 60 yards from the crash site. They were out of their house for 19 days after the crash. They think about the nine men who died that day often.
Widner said, "I think about them all the time. I think about their families and what they are going through without them."
Scott Hatcher worked at another mill near the crash site. He says the disaster not only took lives, it also took jobs.
Hatcher said, "It hurts. We were going to stay there and all, that train wreck put us out of business."
According to Widner, the town is now making a comeback, she is thankful her and her husband are still around to enjoy it and credits their faith for their survival.
She said, "The Lord, the Lord watched over us."
Across the street from the site of the crash a memorial was placed to remember the lives lost and the people the accident impacted.
In total, along with the nine fatalities, over 500 people were treated at hospitals and 5400 people were evacuated during the disaster.
