East Palestine Train Derailment: Evacuation still in effect after 'successful' controlled release of toxic chemicals
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Officials continue to closely monitor the wreckage of a massive, fiery train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border in East Palestine, Ohio. It happened on the evening of Friday, Feb. 3 and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Officials monitoring the crash site urgently warned hundreds of nearby residents who had declined to evacuate to do so, saying a rail car was at risk of a potential explosion that could launch deadly shrapnel as far as a mile. Officials warned of "the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure" after a "drastic temperature change" was observed in that rail car on Sunday, according to a statement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office that said teams were working to prevent an explosion at the scene in East Palestine. It didn't specify what was in that car or whether it was among those that had been carrying hazardous materials. Authorities urged anyone within a one-mile radius of the site to leave immediately. Many had, but local officials indicated more than 500 residents had declined to leave, the statement said. The evacuations extended into nearby areas across the board in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Arrests of people staying put were possible, the Columbiana Sheriff's Office said.
