What to know about explosion fears in the Ohio train derailment

WE ARE AT A RISK NOW OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THAT CONTAINER. MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO TRY AND CONTROL THAT AND PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. BREAKING THIS MORNING, AUTHORITIES TELLING PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 THE SCITUATE SHEEN AT THE SITE OF THIS TRAIN DERAILMENT IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO IS NOW WORSENING AND THAT AN EXPLOSION IS LIKELY IMMINENT. RIGHT NOW, A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR ANYONE LIVING WITHIN ONE MILE. THAT SCENE WE WANT TO UNDERSCORE HERE THAT THAT INCLUDES PART OF DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP IN BEAVER COUNTY. SUCH A SERIOUS SITUATION. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 REPORTER TORY YORGEY IS LIVE IN THESE PALESTINE WITH A BIG CHANGE, PROMPTING THIS MANDATORY ORDER. TORY. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. MICHELLE RYAN AND IT’S A VERY EERIE FEELING HERE IN EAST PALESTINE. YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT’S FIVE IN THE MORNING, BUT THERE’S NO LIGHTS ON AND A LOT OF THESE HOUSES BECAUSE WE’RE OUTSIDE OF THAT ONE MILE RADIUS. BUT ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, THE ROADS ARE BLOCKED. IF YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME HERE, ALMOST EVERY ROAD YOU COME UP ON IN THE TOWN HAS A STATE TROOPER THERE WAITING TO GUIDE YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. NOW, THAT URGENT EVACUATION NOTICE ISSUED BY OHIO GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE IN COLUMBIA COUNTY, OFFICIALS SAYING THERE IS A POTENTIAL DEAL FOR AN EXPLOSION DUE TO A DRASTIC TEMPERATURE CHANGE WITHIN ONE OF THE RAIL CARS THAT DERAILED. AND NOW IF AN EXPLOSION DOES HAPPEN, THEY’RE WORRIED THAT IT’LL SEND SHRAPNEL FLYING WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS. THAT COULD BE DEADLY, THEY SAY. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE ON YOUR SCREEN NOW THAT RADIUS OF THE EVACUATION ZONE, WE’RE TOLD AT LAST CHECK, STILL MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE WITHIN THAT ONE MILE RADIUS HAVE DECLINED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. AND WE DO KNOW DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP IS WITHIN THAT. NOW, WE TALKED WITH THE FIRE CHIEF ABOUT THE SITUATION. HE SAYS OFFICIALS ARE WORKING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO AVOID THIS. LISTEN. IN. AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO EXTEND OUR MILE RADIUS OUT BASED ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE THE MODELS THAT THEY WERE ON. NOW, AGAIN, ABOUT 50 NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN RAILCARS DERAILED FROM THE TRACKS FRIDAY NIGHT REALLY SKYROCKET GETTING FLAMES INTO THE AIR. SOME OFFICIALS SAY THOSE RAIL CARS CONTAIN VINYL CHLORIDE, WHICH IS ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS. AT THIS POINT, AGAIN, WE DO KNOW TEAMS ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION IN THERE. AND I CAN TELL YOU, I’VE BEEN SEEING OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS GOING AROUND TO THE HOUSES WITHIN THAT ONE MILE RADIUS WITH THEIR FLASHLIGHTS, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO LEAVE. THEY TELL ME THERE ARE STILL SOME PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES THIS MORNING LIKE THIS MORNIN

Officials tell Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that the situation at the train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, is worsening.Nearly 50 Norfolk Southern rail cars derailed Friday night. And that it's not a matter of if but when an explosion will occur.Mayor Trent Conaway has urged people to stay away from the site. One person was arrested for going around barricades right up to the crash Saturday night, he said. He warned that more arrests would follow if people did not stay away.A state of emergency has been declared in the small Ohio village. Here's what we know about the fears of an explosion:Officials warned of “the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure” after a “drastic temperature change” was observed in that rail car, according to a statement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office that said teams were working to prevent an explosion at the scene in East Palestine. It did not specify what was in that car or whether it was among those that had been carrying hazardous materials.Officials have issued an urgent evacuation notice for anyone living within a one-mile radius of the derailment site, including part of Darlington Township in Beaver County.Officials said they noticed a drastic temperature change in one of the rail cars Sunday night, which could lead to an explosion, potentially sending deadly shrapnel as far as one mile.The National Guard, EPA and other federal and state officials are on scene evaluating the situation. Norfolk Southern said 20 of the more than 100 cars on the train were classified as carrying hazardous materials — defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.”The NTSB said only 10 cars carrying hazardous materials derailed, and five of them were carrying vinyl chloride, not 14 as was said earlier. Officials stressed late Saturday that they had not confirmed the release of vinyl chloride other than from pressure-release devices operating as designed.Vinyl chloride used to make the polyvinyl chloride hard plastic resin in a variety of plastic products is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.“Short-term exposure to low levels of substances associated with the derailment does not present a long-term health risk to residents,” according to a “Frequently Asked Questions” post on the village's Facebook page. “Vinyl chloride and benzene may cause cancer in people exposed in the workplace to high concentrations for many years; however, there is no indication that any potential exposure that occurred after the derailment increases the risk of cancer or any other long-term health effects in community members.”Officials said Sunday afternoon that cars involved also carried combustible liquids, butyl acrylate and residue of benzene from previous shipments, as well as nonhazardous materials such as wheat, plastic pellets, malt liquors and lubricant oil.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Officials tell Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that the situation at the train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, is worsening.

Nearly 50 Norfolk Southern rail cars derailed Friday night. And that it's not a matter of if but when an explosion will occur.

Mayor Trent Conaway has urged people to stay away from the site. One person was arrested for going around barricades right up to the crash Saturday night, he said. He warned that more arrests would follow if people did not stay away.

A state of emergency has been declared in the small Ohio village. Here's what we know about the fears of an explosion:

Officials warned of “the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure” after a “drastic temperature change” was observed in that rail car, according to a statement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office that said teams were working to prevent an explosion at the scene in East Palestine. It did not specify what was in that car or whether it was among those that had been carrying hazardous materials.

Officials have issued an urgent evacuation notice for anyone living within a one-mile radius of the derailment site, including part of Darlington Township in Beaver County.

Officials said they noticed a drastic temperature change in one of the rail cars Sunday night, which could lead to an explosion, potentially sending deadly shrapnel as far as one mile.

The National Guard, EPA and other federal and state officials are on scene evaluating the situation.

Norfolk Southern said 20 of the more than 100 cars on the train were classified as carrying hazardous materials — defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.”

The NTSB said only 10 cars carrying hazardous materials derailed, and five of them were carrying vinyl chloride, not 14 as was said earlier. Officials stressed late Saturday that they had not confirmed the release of vinyl chloride other than from pressure-release devices operating as designed.

Vinyl chloride used to make the polyvinyl chloride hard plastic resin in a variety of plastic products is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.

“Short-term exposure to low levels of substances associated with the derailment does not present a long-term health risk to residents,” according to a “Frequently Asked Questions” post on the village's Facebook page. “Vinyl chloride and benzene may cause cancer in people exposed in the workplace to high concentrations for many years; however, there is no indication that any potential exposure that occurred after the derailment increases the risk of cancer or any other long-term health effects in community members.”

Officials said Sunday afternoon that cars involved also carried combustible liquids, butyl acrylate and residue of benzene from previous shipments, as well as nonhazardous materials such as wheat, plastic pellets, malt liquors and lubricant oil.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

What to know about explosion fears in the Ohio train derailment

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