Residents in a rural southern Illinois town have been cleared to return home following a traffic accident that resulted in a large anhydrous ammonia leak Friday evening.

The multi-vehicle collision on Route 40 near Teutopolis overturned a semi-truck carrying 7500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia. Around 500 people in the area were evacuated due to dangerous air conditions until the tanker was drained, patched and moved to a secure location.

So far, five confirmed deaths and several injuries have been reported linked to the accident and anhydrous ammonia exposure.

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