A train derailment that released a toxic gas plume and disrupted life near East Palestine, Ohio, has ignited criticism of the rail industry’s safety standards and calls for wider reform.
A freight train derailed in the state on Fed. 3, causing a 38-car pileup and fire damage to an additional 12 cars. The train was carrying 20 cars containing hazardous materials, 11 of which derailed. After the crash, officials attempted a “controlled burn” that released toxic smoke into the air, sparking evacuation orders affecting the 5,000 residents of the town nearby.
