( CNN ) -- Hazardous materials teams are still cleaning up a toxic chemical spill from a train derailment in Lafayette , Louisiana , on Saturday that forced 3,000 people from their homes . Lafayette Police Sgt . Billy Soileau carries Ke'Iveion Solomon 2 , as he helps evacuate children Saturday . `` Hazmat says that clean up is moving quickly and on track , '' Lafayette police said Sunday in a statement . Two train cars leaked highly corrosive hydrochloric acid after the six-car train jumped the tracks Saturday about 2:30 a.m. CT ( 3:30 a.m . ET ) , according to police . The chemical spill caused a toxic cloud to form above the site . Lafayette authorities evacuated about 3,500 homes and businesses -- including a nursing home -- within a mile of the derailment location . Watch traffic detoured from cloud » . The Red Cross opened a shelter at Carencro High School for residents to stay Saturday night , while another 40 to 50 families were put up at hotel rooms , police said . Residents will be allowed to return home once the spill is contained and no longer dangerous , said Joe Faust , a spokesman for BNSF Railway , which operates the train cars . Hydrochloric acid is a clear , colorless solution of hydrogen chloride in water often used in metal cleaning and electroplating . Exposure to it can irritate the skin , said Lt. Craig Stansbury of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff 's Office . People exposed to the substance are urged to seek medical attention . Residents outside the evacuation area were advised to close windows and doors and turn off air conditioning to avoid any contamination . Lafayette is about three hours west of New Orleans .
Train cars leaked corrosive hydrochloric acid after a Saturday derailment . Chemical spill caused a toxic cloud to form above Lafayette site . Exposure to the chemical can irritate skin . Lafayette authorities evacuated about 3,500 homes and businesses .