Emergency officials said that people from towns of Adena Village and Boomer Bottom are being evacuated. At least one tank car ended up in a local river, while another slammed into a house and burst into flames.
Two West Virginia towns are being evacuated after a train carrying crude oil derailed nearby, local media report.
Emergency officials said that people from towns of Adena Village and Boomer Bottom are being evacuated. At least one tank car ended up in a local river, while another slammed into a house and burst into flames.
Several fire departments are working to contain the flames and the Department of Homeland Security as well as the Department of Environmental Protection have been notified of the accident, the Charleston Gazette reports.
“At least one, possibly more, rail cars have gone into the Kanawha River,” spokesperson for the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Lawrence Messina said. “A house fire occurred as a result of the derailment. We’re told that emergency responders are having a hard time reaching the house fire because of the derailment.”
Kanawha County Emergency Management agency confirmed that several tank cars and houses have exploded as a result of the derailment. In a Facebook post, the agency wrote that water systems downstream from the accident have been notified to close their intakes.
Locals are being advised to avoid the area. A makeshift shelter for evacuees has been set up at a local high school.
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Earlier this year six people were killed and at least 12 were injured after a commuter train collided with multiple cars in Valhalla, New York.