Ohio Gov Urges Evacuations After Train Derailment Due to the ‘Potential of a Major Explosion’

🇺🇸Ohio residents living within a one-mile radius of a train derailment are being urged to evacuate amid fears a “major explosion” could send shrapnel flying.

On Friday, roughly 50 train cars derailed in East Palestine, 🇺🇸Ohio, which caused a large fire.

The incident prompted an evacuation order for people within a one-mile radius. But by Sunday night, officials estimated roughly 500 people had declined to leave.

In a statement Sunday night, 🇺🇸Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) tweeted, “East Palestine: Residents living within a mile of the train derailment site who have not yet left their homes are asked to immediately evacuate due to the potential of a major explosion.”

Check out the statement below:

He shared a press release that stated, “Within the last two hours, a drastic temperature change has taken place in a rail car, and there is now the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile.”

“Although teams are working to prevent an explosion from happening, residents living within a mile radius of the site are advised to immediately leave the area. While most individuals in the one-mile radius have already evacuated, local officials say that more than 500 people have declined to leave their homes,” it continued.