
A massive fire broke out after a train derailed on Friday night in northeastern Ohio. The fire broke out when the train was reportedly near the Pennsylvania state border, following which the evacuation and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents were issued. So far, there are no reports of casualties either due to derailment or the fire that ensued soon after.
There was no immediate information about what caused the derailment or what the train carried.
The derailment was reported in Ohio's East Palestine region, about 15 miles south of Youngstown.Mayor Trent Conaway said firefighters from three states responded due to the location of the derailment about 51 miles (82 kilometres) northwest of Pittsburgh and within 20 miles (32 kilometres) of the tip of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle.
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Mayor Trent Conaway issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire town of roughly 5,000 people, while an evacuation order is in effect within one mile of the train crossing at James Street as of early Saturday. Conaway said he did not know when those orders would be lifted.
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Two evacuation stations have opened to provide shelter to residents, and the Red Cross has been notified, Conaway said.
Visuals that emerged on social mediafrom the scene show a large, dense cloud of smoke engulfing flames atop the train.
The Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring air quality, Conaway noted.
Norfolk Southern Railway said in a statement it is aware of the derailment and was "coordinating closely" with local first responders while mobilising their own teams.
"We will share more details as they become available," the statement said.
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