This time it was in the town of Springfield, some 74 kilometers west of Columbus, the state capital.
A month after the derailment of a train carrying toxic waste in East Palestine, Ohio, in the Midwest of the United States (USA), this community experienced a new catastrophe this Saturday when a freight train collapsed in Clark County, in the same state, local media reported.
This time it was in the town of Springfield, some 74 kilometers west of Columbus, the state capital, and according to the authorities, 20 cars were involved in the accident, including four tankers containing non-hazardous materials such as diesel exhaust fluid and polyacrylamide residues.
A report from the Springfield Fire Department stated that a specialized hazardous materials team had been deployed to the scene, although no injuries or public health risks had been identified at this time.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency noted that the derailment did not occur near a protected water source, so no risk to public or private water supply systems has been identified, as no spills have been verified yet.
The Clark County Emergency Management Agency has set up an operations center at the scene with the active cooperation of the Springfield Fire Department, County Sheriff’s Office, State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety and others.
The accident put residents near the derailment site on notice, as the devastation caused by the Norfolk Southern locomotive accident that caused toxic material spills and fires on February 3 in East Palestine is still fresh in their minds.