Ohio: Residents Near Train Wreck Ordered to Evacuate as Train Continues to Burn
Trains continued to burn days after the Ohio train wreck, and residents were advised to evacuate due to the risk of explosion. Ben Birchall Pool/Getty Images

Officials in East Palestine, Ohio, warned residents to leave their homes immediately Sunday night due to the possibility of an explosion caused by the blaze that was started by a train 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," Gov. Mike DeWine warned in a statement Sunday.

The Ohio train wreck happened on Friday while carrying dangerous chemicals, causing a massive fire that is still burning and raising concerns about air quality.

The governor has ordered the immediate evacuation of surrounding neighbors while crews seek to contain the explosion.

Local officials said that while most residents within a mile of the epicenter have evacuated, there are still more than 500 who have refused to leave their houses, CNN reports.

"We need to get everybody who remained within that mile radius - or decided they needed to come back within that mile radius - we need you to leave now," Fire Chief Keith Drabick said.

The chemical vinyl chloride, which the train was transporting, has undergone a "drastic shift," as reported by the fire chief.

Firefighters Step Back and Let the Trains Burn

Vinyl chloride is the chemical on board that is most concerning. It is a highly flammable, colorless gas.

It is a common ingredient in the production of polyvinyl chloride, which is used to make everything from wire coatings and pipes to plastic cutlery.

Sixty-eight organizations from three states and many counties came to help extinguish the fire.

Since Saturday, about 2,000 individuals have been forced to leave their homes.

Norfolk Southern, the company operating the trains, has stated that several different chemicals are being transported in the cars.

Still, the most dangerous is vinyl chloride due to its extreme flammability.

Firefighters have used 400 thousand gallons of water trying to put out the blaze, but they have been told to step back and let it burn because of persistent safety concerns, according to ABC 5

There has been no resolution to this matter yet. If the flames subside, the firefighters will return to their efforts to extinguish the blaze.

There have been no reported injuries, and the Red Cross is actively helping the thousands of people who have been uprooted.

The town has been ordered to stay in its shelters until further notice.

What Caused the Ohio Train Wreck?

Officials from the federal government announced on Sunday that the Ohio train wreck on Friday night, close to the Pennsylvania state line, was caused by a mechanical problem with a rail car axle, per AP.

There was still an evacuation order because of the burning pile of cars, some of which contained dangerous items.

Norfolk Southern, the train's operator, reported that over 50 cars derailed near East Palestine at around 9 p.m. on Friday while transporting various goods from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania.

There were no reported injuries to the crew, residents, or first responders.

In addition, investigators have pinpointed the precise "point of derailment," according to Michael Graham, a National Transportation Safety Board member.

He did not point out the location, but he said that a preliminary report on the investigation is due within the next month or so.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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