Ohio Orders Evacuations After Derailed Train Caused Massive Fire

Ohio officials ordered citizens to evacuate as they continued to monitor the smoldering, tangled wreckage of a train derailment in the northeastern part of the state that was known to be carrying highly flammable chemicals.

Authorities warned hundreds of nearby residents who previously refused evacuations to do so on Sunday night, arguing that the train could end up in an explosion. They warned that such a possibility would send out deadly shrapnel as far back as a mile.

Ohio Officials Order Evacuations

They also said there could be a catastrophic tanker failure due to a drastic temperature change observed in that particular rail car. A statement released by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office said that they had deployed teams to prevent an explosion at the scene located in East Palestine.

However, the statement did not specify what was inside the car or whether or not it was among those carrying hazardous materials. According to Yahoo News, Ohio authorities also urged anyone within a one-mile radius of the site to immediately leave.

While many residents had already followed those evacuation orders, local officials said that more than 500 residents had refused to leave their homes. On Sunday, federal investigators found that mechanical issues with a railcar axle were the cause of the derailment on Friday night.

A board member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Michael Graham, said during a news conference that the three-member train crew received an alert regarding the mechanical defect shortly before the derailment. However, they said the board was still working to determine which rail car experienced the issue.

Roughly 50 cars were thought to have derailed in the area that was part of a train carrying various products from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania. Rail operator Norfolk Southern said that, fortunately, no injuries to the crew, residents, or first responders were reported.

Risk of Catastrophic Failure

In a statement, Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin said that any person who stays near the derailment site could be arrested. According to CNN, he warned that there is a high chance of a toxic gas release and/or explosion.

Furthermore, Fire Chief Keith Drabick said they needed to get everybody who remained within the mile radius limit or those who decided to come back to that radius to leave the area immediately.

Drabick added that if a catastrophic failure does occur, it will release hydrogen chloride and phosgene gas into the atmosphere. He noted that the mile radius around the derailment site could be extended.

Fire officials noted that the most concerning chemical on board the car are vinyl chloride, a colorless gas known to be highly flammable. The chemical is commonly used to produce polyvinyl chloride, used in products such as pipes, wire coatings, and even plastic kitchenware.

Sixty-eight entities from three separate states and multiple counties responded to the scene to assist in putting out the fire. Roughly 2,000 residents in the area have been evacuated since Saturday, said News5 Cleveland.

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