An exclusion zone is in place after a 26-carriage freight train carrying some 200,000 litres of sulphuric acid derailed on Monday in Australia's Queensland state.
All 26 carriages were derailed in the accident, which have badly damaged the railway line near the outback train stations of Quarrells and Julia Creek, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The same railway connects the mining towns of Mount Isa and Cloncurry with coastal cities like Townsville.
It has been reported that diesel fuel spilled as well.
The area has also been affected by flooding, which has hampered access to the site.
It is unclear where the acid was heading to, but sulphuric acid is often used by miners of base metals like gold and zinc to separate metals from ores.
The cause of the derailment is being investigated.