On Feb. 3, at around 9 p.m., a train derailed in the village of East Palestine, which has approximately 4,700 residents and is located 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The National Transportation Safety Board reported that 38 of the 150 cars traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed, causing a fire that damaged 12 more.
Vinyl chloride, a toxic and flammable gas, posed the greatest threat to investigators because the train, operated by Norfolk Southern, was carrying chemicals and combustible materials. From the derailment, a huge fire broke out, blowing thick smoke into the sky and over the town. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine raised concerns about a possible explosion, prompting the evacuation of residents on both sides of the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
A large, dense cloud of smoke enveloped the train's flames in photos taken at the scene. Conaway said that firefighters from Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania all responded.
As worries grew about how the derailment and fire might affect the environment and the transportation network, residents worried about their health. In a statement, Norfolk Southern Railway said that members of its team were on the scene and that the company was "coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies."
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