More known about the cause of the Ohio train disaster, which is causing a stir in the US

In the US, more has become known about the great train disaster in East Palestine (Ohio). Only just before the derailment did the crew receive an alarm from an overheated wheel bearing. Subsequently, the freight train was stopped and staff discovered that wagons had derailed and were on fire.

This emerged from the initial results of the investigation into the major train derailment by the NTSB inspection service. According to the report, the overheating of a wagon’s wheel bearing was picked up too late by sensors to intervene. The calamity, in which wagons with toxic substances were on fire for a long time, has stirred up a lot in American society.

Mistrust about the authorities’ handling of the disaster runs deep among the approximately 5,000 inhabitants of East Palestine. They believe that the government has not been transparent about the health risks. The authorities deny that.

38 freight cars derailed in the accident on February 3. Eleven wagons contained hazardous substances. Due to the continuous fire, the contents of five wagons containing the highly flammable substance vinyl chloride were burned in a controlled manner on 6 February. To prevent an explosion, the dust was released via an emergency discharge system with a delay.

Due to the toxic fumes released during this controlled burning, the area around it was evacuated. In addition to vinyl chloride, other chemicals have also been released from freight cars. But the extent of this is still under investigation.

View images of the flames here:

Residents have been dealing with nosebleeds, headaches and nausea since the big fire, but it is still unclear whether there is a direct connection to the disaster. Thousands of fish have died as a result of chemicals leaked into the water. Several pets have become ill, according to residents.

The disaster has also become a plaything in the political battle between Republicans and Democrats. For example, former President Donald Trump was in East Palestine yesterday as part of his campaign for next year’s presidential election. He said the residents have been “betrayed” by the Democratic rulers.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was also in the disaster area today. He called on the sector to work on the safety of rail and freight train traffic. But his visit comes too late, three weeks after the disaster, according to local resident Heather Bable. “They should have been here a long time ago. We need the attention, because we didn’t get it at first,” she told the AP news agency.

Conspiracy theories about the disaster are also circulating on social media. They are fed by the institution Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not publish a full list of all chemicals being carried until nine days after the derailment. This has led to all kinds of speculation about a possible cover-up.