The Associated Press reported on the 5th that a large fire broke out when a freight train carrying chemicals derailed in Ohio.
According to local transportation authorities, an accident occurred at around 9:00 pm on the same day when a freight train passing through East Palestine, Ohio, was derailed due to an axle failure.
As a result, about 50 wagons were engulfed in flames and the surrounding area was covered with black smoke.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said at a press conference, “Investigators have confirmed the exact derailment point,” and “we are investigating which wagon had the problem.”
The NTSB said only 10 of the wagons loaded with hazardous materials derailed, and five of them were loaded with vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride, a raw material for plastic molding, can explode when exposed to air. It is also a carcinogen that causes various cancers, including liver cancer.
The Norfolk Southern Railway explained that “20 out of 100 wagons contained combustible materials or substances that could cause environmental pollution.”
East Palestine authorities ordered residents living within a 1.6km radius of the fire to evacuate, saying that the accident train was loaded with flammable materials and chemicals, which could spread pollutants into the surrounding air with an explosion.
About 2,000 of the village’s 4,900 residents are subject to evacuation orders, but it is unclear how many will be affected by the accident.
“It’s very important to evacuate because a train carrying hazardous materials is burning down after an accident near the village,” said Fire Chief Keith Dravik.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway declared a state of emergency on the same day, ordered schools closed on the 6th, and closed company offices in the town. Whether or not to extend the school closure will be decided this afternoon.