Residents of East Palestine, Ohio were given an urgent evacuation order Sunday night due to a train derailment and chemical fire.
The train was carrying hazardous materials and 20 cars had derailed, including five containing vinyl chloride. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident but has confirmed that vinyl chloride has been released from pressure-release devices.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has warned of a “catastrophic tanker failure” and “major explosion” that could have deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile. The NTSB has reported that a mechanical issue on a rail car axle caused the derailment. In response to the incident, the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office has implemented a 10 p.m. curfew in a 1-mile radius of the accident and Village Mayor Trent Conaway has warned of arrests for those refusing to stay away from the scene.
The fire has been burning since Friday and has been producing toxic fumes. Despite this, local officials have reported that air quality levels away from the fire have not raised any concerns and the village’s water is unaffected as it is fed by groundwater. Environmental protection agency crews are currently working to remove contaminants from streams and monitor water quality.
The train was en route from Madison, Illinois to Conway, Pennsylvania. Nearly half of the village of 4,761 residents have been told to evacuate, but more than 500 have declined to leave their homes. According to former University of Akron student Eric Whiting, who was among those evacuated in East Palestine, “the train is burning with chemicals on it and makes the air hard to breathe.”
At the time of writing, the fire is still burning and the evacuation order is still in place. The NTSB will continue to investigate the incident and local authorities are working to ensure that residents remain safe. The incident has caused significant disruption to the village and it is unknown when residents will be able to return to their homes.
