In Pennsylvania, a train with dangerous goods derailed: residents of the area were evacuated

On the morning of July 17, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in southeastern Pennsylvania, leading to road closures and mass evacuations. Writes about it Dailymail.

Photo: IStock

A 40-car CSX train derailed near Stanton Avenue and Joshua Road at Plymouth Meeting just before 05:00. 16 wagons overturned.

Evacuated residents of more than 10 homes 15 miles (24 km) from Philadelphia, as well as several businesses closest to the crash site.

Sources said it was a precautionary measure. And the warnings about hazardous substances are linked to the fact that 15 to 20 wagons were believed to be carrying hazardous materials.

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In a statement about three hours after the derailment, police said the only material leaked from the train so far were silicone beads, which pose no threat to the public. What caused the crash is not reported, although at the time of the incident, heavy rains covered the state, causing powerful flash floods.

"Whitemarsh Emergency Services is investigating a train derailment at Norfolk Southern," the local police department said in a Facebook post around 7 a.m.

“Precautionary evacuations occurred among residents and businesses closest to the scene. It is not expected that further evacuations will be required, but we will assess as we learn more,” the local police department said in a Facebook post.

BREAKING: Evacuation underway after train is derailed, this time causing a Level 2 hazmat situation, near Whitemarsh Township #Pennis . pic.twitter.com/S2MknzkRhQ

— Insider Corner (@insidercnews) July 17, 2023

Shocking photos and footage, meanwhile, show some of the damage caused by the disaster, with several carriages lying in a wooded area.

Several containers of unidentified substances were seen on the ground, one of which appeared to be leaking.

There are currently no reports of injuries, but officials from Norfolk Southern, which owns the railroad where the incident occurred, CSX and the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety Emergency Response Team arrived on the scene.

Norfolk Southern, which has come under scrutiny amid a series of high-profile derailments this year, has confirmed in a statement that it does not own the train.

A statement from railroad company CSX confirmed that the 40-car train derailed around 04:50, but did not specify what the freighter was carrying.

Law enforcement sources first said the derailed wagons, of which there are at least 16, were carrying silicone granules, a material used for packaging.

As reports of an unknown white substance leaking from the cracked bodywork continued to surface, officials eventually confirmed that they had found a few leaking silicone beads, but they did not pose any danger to the public.

“At this point, the only thing leaking from the railroad cars is silicone pellets, which do not pose a risk to the public,” Whitemarsh Township Police said in a statement.

There have been no other reports of material leaking from the derailed train cars so far. Police said they did not believe further evacuations would be required.

While it is not known exactly how many residents of the city of 6400 were evacuated, some now tell how they were driven from their homes in the wee hours of Monday after the train derailed.

“Worrying. Everything happened very quickly,” Mallory Michener said of the disaster. She and her daughter were among several evacuees.

Her daughter added: "When you hear the knock on the door at 05:30, it's a bit shocking."

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CSX confirmed that more than a dozen homes were evacuated during the chaos.

"The local fire department responded and announced the evacuation of just over 10 homes as a precaution," the railway company said.

CSX said the cause of the incident was "under investigation", although a spokesperson later stated that the derailment appeared to be "weather related".

A storm was raging in the region at the time of the crash.

The area was later declared safe by officials, but it is still unknown when the families will be allowed to return to their homes as chemical protection teams continue to assess the scene.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was monitoring the situation.

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