Authorities were threatening to arrest anyone who doesn’t leave an evacuation zone near the smoldering wreckage of an Ohio train derailment near the Pennsylvania state line and warned Monday there was a high probability of a toxic gas release.
While crews were working to prevent a major explosion, residents were packing overnight bags, loading their pets into cars and searching for hotel rooms. Police in the village of East Palestine moved out of their communication center as the threat of an explosion increased.
I’m worried about leaving and not getting back, Mallory Burkett, who lives just outside the evacuation area, said Monday just before her family drove out of town. “I’m definitely going to come back, but I’m not sure when.
Officials warned hundreds of residents who had declined to evacuate earlier to do so Sunday night, saying a rail car was at risk of a potential explosion that could launch deadly shrapnel as far as a mile.
About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash Friday night, according to rail operator Norfolk Southern and the National Transportation Safety Board. No injuries to crew, residents or first responders were reported.
Norfolk Southern said 20 of the more than 100 cars on the train were classified as carrying hazardous materials defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.