Source: CCTV News Client
In early February, a train derailment occurred in East Palestine City, Ohio, USA, resulting in the leakage of a variety of toxic chemicals, which had a serious impact on the local environment. It has been more than a dozen days since the accident, but its impact is still fermenting.
U.S. Senator Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania: I'm right in southern eastern Palestine, Ohio, where the train derailment occurred. The creek I was in was near town, and it was fine at first glance, but when I stirred the stream, I looked at the traces of these chemicals, and I looked at the colors, it smelled of butane. They are heavier than water molecules and settle in riverbeds, which also makes it more difficult to clean up toxic substances. There are no fish here, they are all dead, and these colors can be seen.
The footage shows that an unknown gas is blistering in the stream. Since the leakage accident, a large number of fish in the local river have died, and many people have also developed nausea, headaches and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Sam Wenger, a local resident: My wife is almost 37 weeks pregnant and she needs to have an induced labor, which is a bit scary. Because we can't drink water, we can't detect our water.
Red rash, headache Residents experienced uncomfortable symptoms one after another
Caitlin lives 1.6 kilometers from the site of the derailment. Soon after returning home, she developed a large red rash on her body.
Local resident Caitlin Schwarzwald: When I took a shower, I noticed a rash on both cheeks and chest, and a red rash on the left side of my boyfriend's body. Now my head is also constantly aching.
Local resident Russell Waite: I felt like my eyes were about to fall out of my head, very bulging. I blow my nose about every 8 to 10 minutes and I bleed.
After more than two weeks, the person in charge of the company involved finally apologized
Two weeks after the leak, the company involved in the "poison train" incident chose to apologize.
Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern Railroad: I'm very sorry that happened. This is devastating for the community.
Such a "belated apology" is difficult for affected residents to accept. According to the Washington Post and other US media reports, the Norfolk Southern Railroad has seen a surge in rail accidents over the past decade, and the company has invested money to lobby the federal government to ease rail restrictions. In addition, according to CNN, Norfolk Southern Railroad promised $1,000 in compensation to residents who left their homes as a result of the chemical spill, but many residents were turned away when they went to collect it.
Local resident Scott McAllier: I went back to them and gave him my receipts for the last two days. But they told me they wouldn't pay me.
Local resident Russell Waite: They'll keep you out. My parents came twice and her siblings came three times. I didn't know exactly how I could get help because they turned me away again.
Senator: People are right to be skeptical
According to the "New York Post", US Senator Sherrod Brown publicly said in an interview with US media on the 19th local time that after the train derailment led to chemical spills and fires, local residents were "right to be skeptical"; Asked if he would like to drink local water to reassure the population, the senator did not answer directly.