- Norfolk Southern said it didn't attend a local town hall because it was worried for its employees' safety.
- Angry residents had hoped to get answers from the rail company about threats to their health.
The railway company behind the toxic train derailment in Ohio skipped a town hall meeting with local residents because it says it was worried angry townspeople would beat up its workers.
The meeting was held Wednesday in East Palestine, the small town where a 50-car train derailed on February 3, emitting toxic fumes and forcing residents near the fiery crash to evacuate.
Authorities are now letting residents return to their homes, but many are worried about potential ongoing health risks caused by the leaked hazardous chemicals.
Hundreds of residents showed up at the meeting to demand answers from the railway company, Norfolk Southern. But representatives from the railway company didn't show up, citing safety issues for its employees.
"We know that many are rightfully angry and frustrated right now," Norfolk Southern said in a statement shared with Insider. "After consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties."
The company's no-show only further fueled residents' anger, mistrust, and skepticism.
"They have something to hide. You don't back out of questions if you know how to answer them," one resident, Jaime Cozza, said, according to the BBC. "It was like a bomb went through our town."
At the top of residents' concerns was whether or not the water is safe for human consumption.
Thousands of fish and other wildlife like chickens and foxes have already reportedly died from the toxic chemicals leaking into the water and soil.
Insider previously reported that some of the chemicals that leaked — including vinyl chloride and benzene — have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
The city officials who did attend the meeting tried to assure residents that the toxins in the air and water are not at high enough levels to harm people, the BBC reported.
But some residents claimed that people have already gotten sick — the New York Times reported that one resident yelled out, "Why are people getting sick if there's nothing in the air or the water?"
Another local told the BBC that he has "absolutely no faith whatsoever" in what officials have said.
"The answers they are giving could be true," he said. "But they aren't delivering them in a way that's going to make anybody feel better."
The president and CEO of Norfolk Southern says that the company is "committed to East Palestine today and in the future," according to a statement shared with Insider. "We will be judged by our actions," he said, adding that the company has been cleaning up the site, reimbursing residents, and working with the community.