An as yet unknown amount of diesel from a derailed train is flowing into a protected marine area and the extent of the ecological impact is not yet clear.
At around 11.30pm on Wednesday, August 26, the sky was suddenly aglow above Llangennech as a fire on a derailed diesel train sent flames into the air that could be seen from miles away.
The fire broke out in three carriages of a freight train that was carrying fuel and it burned ferociously for hours until it was finally brought under control.
The two people on the train managed to escape uninjured after decoupling the carriages from the locomotive.
Police, firefighters and volunteers were at the scene throughout Thursday as the fire service desperately battled with the flames.
Local residents living within an 800 metre radius of the site of the derailment were evacuated to a local community centre or sent to stay with relatives in case of further explosions or the fire spreading.
Luckily, the fire was contained and by Thursday evening things seemed to be coming under control with only two of the carriages still "with impinging fire on them," according to Sean Lloyd, group manager with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Although tackling the fire was "top priority", according to British Transport Police Superintendent Andy Morgan "the second priority is the environmental issues which come from that."
Farmers, landowners and cockle pickers near to the derailment were warned by Natural Resources Wales that "they will not be able to carry on as normal tomorrow", as the extent of the spillage was assessed.
The Loughor River, near to the site of the derailment, marks the border between Carmarthenshire and Swansea and reports of diesel oil floating on the surface of the river began to come in on Thursday afternoon and throughout the evening.
The Burry Inlet Cockle Fishery encompasses the Loughor Estuary and three other Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The inlet is within the Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries European Marine Site (EMS) and is designated under the European Union’s Habitats and Birds Directives which safeguards habitats and species that are important and threatened.
It is important because the area is home to a large number of overwintering wildfowl and waders that feed in the salt marshes and on the inter-tidal areas.
On Thursday afternoon, fishermen in the Loughor Estuary were starting to spot deposits of oil floating on the surface of the water and covering seaweed beds.
Some were sharing on social media that they found the smell of the diesel so overwhelming they abandoned their fishing and went home, warning others to stay away.
One keen fisherman, who did not want to be named, said he was "shocked" by what he witnessed in the estuary on Thursday evening when he found a bed of seaweed covered in what seemed to be diesel oil from the spillage.
Until the scene has been made safe for inspection the full extent of the damage to the local wildlife won't become clear and further updates are expected from the emergency services on Friday.
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