March 4 (Reuters) – A Norfolk Southern ( NSCN Accommodation on site.
Norfolk Southern said there were no hazardous materials on board the train that derailed near Springfield and no one was injured. Local officials said first responders at the scene were working to confirm there were no toxins.
The accident followed the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, about 180 miles (290 km) northeast of Springfield. The derailment of East Palestine sent millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into the environment and forced the evacuation of thousands of people.
About 20 cars of a southbound 212-car train derailed Saturday near Springfield, Norfolk Southern said in an emailed statement. The report did not give any reason for the derailment.
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“No hazardous materials were involved and there were no injuries,” Norfolk Southern said. “Our teams are moving to the site to begin cleanup operations.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Twitter that he had been briefed by the Federal Railroad Administration on the latest derailment and that they would be monitoring the situation closely.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said President Joe Biden and Buttigieg called him to provide needed help following the latest crash. “We don’t believe hazardous materials were involved,” he said.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday morning that he was not satisfied with the company’s response to the latest derailment and questioned whether communities in Clark County could have been affected by any possible contamination. Mostly empty cars.
He noted that Ohio has had four derailments in the past five months.
“The railroads have a lot of questions they need to answer, and they’re not really doing a good job of it,” Brown said.
Clark County officials said in a statement on the county’s Facebook page that residents living within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of the derailment were “sheltered out of an abundance of caution” on Saturday.
It said power lines were down in the area as a result of the accident and it was unclear how long it would take to restore power.
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Paul Simao, William Mallard and Marguerita Choi
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