Local media said that a train derailed near the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania on Friday night, generating a major fire in the area.
Images sent to social media from East Palestine, a community located north of Pittsburgh, depict multiple train cars on fire. There is visible smoke coming from the fire and filling the air.
According to multiple media sources, emergency officials had been evacuating residents from their homes within one mile of the fire.
It was initially unclear whether there were any casualties. The East Palestine police department did not respond immediately to a request for information from Reuters.
A Norfolk Southern Corp. representative stated in an emailed statement that the freight train was “coordinating closely with local first responders while mobilizing our own teams.”
The individual did not immediately react to questions concerning the train’s cargo and the cause of the derailment.
»Derailed train causes massive fire in Ohio«