Residents of Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, were evacuated Monday after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed near the town center.
Reports from Whitemarsh, about half an hour’s drive north of Philadelphia, suggest that a 40-car freight train derailed close to the town center, forcing residents to flee their homes, police told CBS News. At least 16 cars, one of which was carrying hazardous materials, came off the tracks, the outlet noted.
The crash occurred around dawn on Monday, with police and hazmat crews initially suggesting that there is no known hazard to the public so far, per CBS. Despite this claim, families were rushed out of their homes so quickly that some didn’t have time to put on shoes, the outlet reported.
“As of now, the only thing that is leaking from any of the rail cars involved, is silicone pellets which pose no risk to the community,” Whitemarsh police wrote in a Facebook post, asking people to check back to their page for important updates on the situation.
Another train derailment…
This time it is in Pennsylvania close to Philadelphia.
A white substance seems to be leaking from the train.🚂 pic.twitter.com/PbLOgRnRKy— AC_Truth (@truth_ac) July 17, 2023
The cause of the derailment remains unknown, and no injuries have been reported. (RELATED: Norfolk Southern Bails On Public Meeting After Train Derailment, Community Rage Erupts)
The rail company behind this derailment is allegedly Norfolk Southern, which also operated the train the derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, at the start of 2023. Some scientists said at the time that the company had “basically nuked a town.”