Precautionary evacuations are in place after a freight train derailed in southeast Pennsylvania on Monday morning.
In Whitemarsh Township, some seven miles outside of Philadelphia, a 40-car CSX train derailed just before 5 am EDT while traveling on Norfolk Southern-owned tracks.
No Hazardous Material Leaks Or Risks To Public Safety
A CSX press release stated that about 16 of the cars looked to be off the track.
Approximately a dozen people and businesses in Whitemarsh Township were evacuated by police “out of an abundance of caution” because it appeared that one automobile was carrying dangerous materials.
The CSX, however, claimed that there is “no indication of any leaks or spills of hazardous materials.”
Police confirmed that at the time of the incident, there were no known risks to the public and no injuries.
The Whitemarsh Township Police Department posted on Facebook that the only substance now seeping from any of the involved rail carriages is silicone pellets, which pose no harm to the community.
Although the exact reason of the derailment is yet unknown, CSX stated in a news statement that it appears to be weather related.
Representatives from Norfolk Southern, CSX, and the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety Emergency Response Team were there as of Monday morning.
In a statement to The Independent, Norfolk Southern stated that they were helping CSX and the authorities with cleanup.
Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, posted on Twitter that he was monitoring the train derailment in Whitemarsh Twp and assisting local first responders.
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Consequences Of Hazardous Freight Train Derailment
We appreciate the citizens’ precautions, which they took at the local authorities’ advice. Please keep adhering to their instructions,
A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous commodities derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, just a few months prior, causing a controlled chemical burn that lasted two days.
Two other freight trains derailed shortly after the tragedy, raising questions about the safety and engineering procedures taken by the railroad industry.
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