A third Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday morning, this time in Calhoun County, Alabama.
The Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release that there are no reports of hazardous materials leaking after around 30 train cars derailed. Additionally, no injuries have been reported.
“Norfolk Southern has responded and is working closely with us,” an agency spokesman said in a statement, according to NBC News. “Norfolk Southern has their cleanup crew on site and there is no estimation on how long it will take.”
Over the weekend, a second Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio, sending dozens of train cars off the tracks as fallout continues from the company’s toxic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio just over a month ago.
No hazardous materials or passengers were being carried on this train, which derailed around 5 p.m. Saturday near Springfield, the Associated Press reported. Norfolk Southern initially reported 20 cars derailed, but general manager Kraig Barner updated that to 28 on Sunday, the New York Times reported.
A small Ohio town is still reeling from toxic chemicals that were unleashed after a Norfolk Southern train went off the tracks last month, forcing thousands to evacuate and raising alarming health concerns. The derailment spurred lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to call for accountability.
After vinyl chloride was deliberately burned in several derailed train cars near East Palestine, Ohio, an estimated 3,500 fish were killed across about 7.5 miles of streams, News 5 Cleveland reported, and other stories of animals falling ill have circulated online and in the media.
Ordering residents to evacuate ahead of time, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine warned of the “grave danger” posed by the resulting fumes. When burned, vinyl chloride releases two poisonous gasses: phosgene, which was used as a chemical weapon in World War I, and hydrogen chloride, which can result in severe burns.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
