For the nearly 2,000 residents, or nearly half the population of East Palestine, within a radius of between 1.5 and 3.2 kilometers from the crash site, an evacuation order remains in effect as of the weekend
Thousands of Americans living near the site of a chemical train derailment in the northern United States were unable to return to their homes today, four days after the incident, as authorities are still refusing to allow it.
Railway authorities did on Monday proceed with “controlled” dumping of vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic and highly flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastic, from the still-burning carriages.
As part of this operation, an explosion occurred around 4.30 pm. local time in the East Palestine region of Ohio State, near the border with Pennsylvania where the accident occurred, Sandy Mackay, a spokeswoman for the local disaster management agency, told AFP today.
The fumes could potentially be “fatal” if “inhaled,” railroad company Norfolk Southern said in a press release Monday.
For the nearly 2,000 residents, or nearly half the population of East Palestine, within a radius of between 1.5 and 3.2 kilometers from the crash site, an evacuation order remains in place as of the weekend.
Authorities have also urged those living outside the area to stay at home as much as possible.
“We’re doing air quality analysis and waiting for the fumes to clear so people can go home,” Mackay said.
Schools near the site of the derailment were closed “for purely precautionary reasons”.
Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas used in a variety of plastic products and packaging materials. When burned, it can create phosgene, a highly toxic substance that was used primarily as a chemical weapon during the First World War.
The cause of the 150-car train derailment is being investigated.
RES-EMP
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