Flames from 50-Car Derailment in Ohio Still Burning | Rail Transport

A freight train continued to burn on Saturday after derailing, triggering an evacuation order and a state of emergency declaration, giving off copious amounts of smoke. Ohio A village near the Pennsylvania border in the United States.

Around 9 p.m. ET Friday in eastern Palestine, about 50 cars derailed as a train was carrying products from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, rail operator Norfolk Southern said Saturday. rice field. There was no immediate information about the cause of the derailment. No injuries or damage to structures have been reported.

East Palestinian village mayor Trent Conaway has declared a state of emergency, citing “a train derailed by a dangerous object.” Air quality was being monitored throughout the evacuated one-mile zone, and there were no dangerous readings to report, he said.

According to the railway operator, the train has more than 100 cars, 20 of which are hazardous, defined as cargo that can pose any type of hazard “including combustible, flammable or environmental risks.” Classified as carrying things.

Fire Chief Keith Dravik said officials were most concerned about the shipment of the chemical vinyl chloride, but the safety features of the railcars were still working. I’m doing it,” he said.

According to the U.S. federal government’s National Cancer Institute, vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride hard plastic resins used in a variety of plastic products, is associated with an increased risk of liver and other cancers. ing.

Emergency workers kept their distance until railway officials told them it was safe to approach, Dravik said.

The water pumped by the truck froze, and the subzero single-digit temperatures complicated the reaction, Conaway said.

Officials said 68 agencies from three states and many counties responded to the derailment, which occurred about 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it would “launch a go-team to investigate” the derailment.

Aerial surveillance showed “the cars were entangled,” Conaway said, and the fire was still burning as authorities tried to determine what was in each car from the labels outside. Evacuation orders and shelter-in-place warnings remain in effect until further notice, officials said.