State of Emergency Declared After 50-Car Train Derailment in Ohio

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By Inside Edition Staff

First Published: 12:38 PM PST, February 4, 2023

A 50-car train derailment set off a massive fire in Ohio late Friday night, leading officials to declare a state of emergency.

A freight train traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania was passing through the village of East Palestine in Ohio when it went off the tracks, the Associated Press reported.

Train operator Norfolk Southern said in a statement Saturday that it was carrying more than 100 cars, 20 of which were classified as carrying hazardous materials, defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.”

Officials shuffled evacuated residents into a local high school and community center.

An evacuation order remained in place within a mile of the scene as of early Saturday, CBS News reported.

Frigid temperatures late Friday night– into the single digits– complicated firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the flames, since the water froze as it was being pumped out of the truck. Hazmat crews are on scene continuing to monitor air quality in the area.

Norfolk Southern says no injuries were reported and did not name what caused the incident.