Norfolk Southern has confirmed another train derailment.
According to Fox News, the incident occurred in Lexington, North Carolina, on Saturday morning, nearly a month after a fire train crash wreaked havoc in a small Ohio town. A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern said the latest derailment involved a 132-car freight train, of which only one car fell off the tracks. Though the representative didn’t reveal the contents of the train, they said the public is not at risk, as there were “no reports of a hazmat situation.”
“Our crew is safe and additional personnel are on their way to begin cleanup,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate the public’s patience and care near this area during the cleanup work.”
Amtrak issued an alert Saturday morning, saying there were multiple train delays due to the derailment.
Piedmont Train 75 is now stopped in Greensboro (GRO) due to a disabled freight train blocking the tracks ahead. We will update as more information becomes available.
Norfolk Southern has faced mounting scrutiny over a Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The company confirmed 38 rail cars came off the track, including 11 cars that were transporting hazardous material. Officials ordered an immediate evacuation of the rural town while crews conducted a “controlled release” of the toxic chemicals.Â
The Norfolk Southern Railroad-operated train derailed on February 3, causing a fire that sent a cloud of smoke over the town of East Palestine, Ohio. After railroad crews drained and burned off a toxic chemical, DeWine later said that residents could return to their homes 2/6
The evacuation order was lifted several days later, despite concerns that the public was still at risk. Over the past several weeks, a growing number of East Palestine residents have reported a wide range of health symptoms associated with chemical exposure. Some say they’ve experienced nausea, headaches, rashes, and respiratory issues in the weeks since the fiery train crash.
East Palestine resident Amanda Greathouse told CNN she and her family have decided to leave the town, as she didn’t want to put her children at risk.
“When we went back on the 10th, that’s when we decided that we couldn’t raise our kids here. When we left, I had a rash on my skin on my arm, and my eyes were burning for a few days after that.” Greathouse said, adding she’s only returned home twice since the Feb. 3 crash. “… The chemical smell was so strong that it made me nauseous. I just wanted to quickly pick up what I needed and leave. I only took a few pieces of clothes because even the clothes smelled like chemicals, and I’m afraid to put them on my kids.”
