COLUMBIANA COUNTY, Ohio — Evacuation orders remain in effect following a large train derailment in eastern Ohio.
It happened over the weekend in the small Columbiana County town of East Palestine on the Ohio and Pennsylvania.
On Sunday evening, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued an order calling for National Guard personnel to help with evacuations around the site of the crash. The Governor issued the following notice saying, “Following an evening briefing regarding the train derailment in East Palestine, Governor DeWine, and Columbiana County officials are issuing an urgent warning to those living within a mile of the derailment. Within the last two hours, a drastic temperature change has taken place in a rail car, and there is now the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile.
Although teams are working to prevent an explosion from happening, residents living within a mile of the site are advised to immediately leave the area. While most individuals in the one-mile radius have already evacuated, local officials say that more than 500 people have declined to leave their homes.
Those who have the means to leave are advised to immediately evacuate. Those who need help evacuating the area should call 330-426-4341. According to the Columbiana County Sheriff, those with children in their homes who decline to evacuate may be subject to arrest.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed to the media over the weekend that mechanical issues were the cause of the derailment. NTSB cites an issue with one of the rail car axles as the cause.
Officials say the train was hauling hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride, used to make PVC. The substance is flammable and the vapors can be toxic if inhaled.
