WASHINGTON, Apr 15 A train carrying hazardous substances has derailed in the US state of Maine, the local fire and rescue service said.
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“A train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire north of Rockwood,” the agency said in a social media post.
No casualties have been reported yet. Rescuers urged local residents not to approach the accident site.
In the United States, according to media reports, over a thousand trains have been derailed annually in the past decade. Attention to such incidents was attracted by a resonant accident in Ohio in early February. Then a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, in which there were several dozen wagons with dangerous chemicals. This led to a fire, explosion and serious contamination of the area. The authorities evacuated part of the population, but later allowed them to return home.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said at the time that the level of pollution did not exceed acceptable standards. Nevertheless, local residents spoke about cases of malaise, as well as the death of animals and fish in the area of the incident.