- A train carrying toxic chemicals derailed over the weekend in Ohio, causing a fire to burn for days.
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a mandatory evacuation for nearby residents.
A 50-car train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near an eastern Ohio town on Friday, and the governor is warning of a possible "catastrophic explosion" that could send "deadly shrapnel" flying through the air up to a mile away.
The train carrying highly flammable hazardous materials like vinyl chloride derailed on Friday night, sparking a massive fire that continued to burn through Sunday night, CNN reported.
"A drastic temperature change has taken place in a rail car," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine wrote on Twitter. "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."
DeWine ordered a mandatory evacuation for thousands of residents of East Palestine, a small village in Ohio near the Pennsylvania border, but more than 500 people have refused to evacuate, according to the governor's statement.
The county sheriff warned in a Facebook post that anyone who refuses to evacuate could be arrested and charged with "a first degree misdemeanor if children are in the household."
"There is a high probability of a toxic gas release and or explosion," Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin wrote on Facebook. "Please, for your own safety, remove your families from danger."
The potential for toxic fumes was so dangerous that even the East Palestine Police Department evacuated, according to a Facebook post from the department. The department said 911 service would not be affected.
Schools and businesses in the community are closed at least through Monday, the BBC reported.
Authorities are most worried about the chemical vinyl chloride, which was present in 5 of the derailed train cars, CNN reported, citing the National Transportation Safety Board and East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick. The Ohio Department of Health says that breathing high levels of the chemical can make you dizzy and sleepy or cause you to pass out if you don't get fresh air.
"You can die from breathing extremely high levels of vinyl chloride," the Ohio Department of Health said.
State environmental officials told the BBC that they have not detected harmful levels of vinyl chloride in the area.