Video from WV train derailment & explosions
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(Thanks to Donald Poff, Rob Shuff and Andrew Doyle for alerting STATter911 to this story.)
Residents are still being kept away from their homes after a train derailment Monday afternoon.
It happened about 1:30 p.m. at Adena Village near Deep Water. That’s near the Fayette-Kanawha line.
West Virginia State Police say a CSX train carrying crude oil derailed. The train caught fire. Investigators say the fire destroyed at least one home in the area.
At this time, investigators say no fatalities have been reported.
West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) declared a state of emergency for Fayette and Kanawha Counties at 5:40 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. The declaration was in response to the CSX train derailment that lead to the evacuation of the Powelltown Hollow area, which includes Boomer and Adena Village. No other counties were included in this declaration.
“Declaring a State of Emergency ensures that residents of both Kanawha and Fayette counties have the access they need to resources necessary to handle all stages of the emergency,” said Gov. Tomblin. “State official are on site and will continue to work with local and federal officials, as well as CSX representatives throughout the incident.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSV3uFf2eN4
Firefighters with the Boomer Fire Department said that there have been at least six explosions in connection with the fire that started from a CSX train that derailed in the Powelltown Hollow area of Fayette County on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. The derailment happened at around 1:30 p.m. As a result, the entire town of Boomer was evacuated by 4:30 p.m.
The train consisted of two locomotives and 109 rail cars. It was traveling from North Dakota to Yorktown, VA carrying crude oil. The scene extends along WV Route 61, near Armstrong Creek road. According to firefighters, the largest explosion happened near a house that was between the railroad tracks and the Kanawha River. They do not believe anyone was home at the time. State Troopers said there have been no fatalities reported. According to a release from CSX one person was being treated for potential inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.
CSX Statement
CSX teams are working with first responders on the derailment this afternoon of an oil train near Mount Carbon, WV. At least one rail car appears to have ruptured and caught fire. The derailment has resulted in the precautionary evacuation of nearby communities, and precautionary suspension of operation at the Cedar Grove and Montgomery water treatment plants. CSX is working with the Red Cross and other relief organizations to address residents’ needs, taking into account winter storm conditions. These efforts include shelters for residents who have been evacuated. CSX teams also are working with first responders to address the fire, to determine how many rail cars derailed, and to deploy environmental protective and monitoring measures on land, air and in the nearby Kanawha River. The company also is working with public officials and investigative agencies to address their needs.
Crews said oil is burning everywhere. There are some environmental concerns if the oil is under the frozen spots in the river. Crews on the scene said that the oil in those locations will not burn and will have “all kinds of negative impacts on the water.
