50-car train derailment causes big fire, evacuations in Ohio

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — A train derailment and resulting large fire have prompted an evacuation order in an Ohio village near the Pennsylvania state line. The Friday night (Feb. 3, 2023) derailment covered the area in billows of smoke lit orange by the flames below. Rail operator Norfolk Southern says about 50 cars derailed in East Palestine from a train carrying a variety of freight. No injuries were reported. Officials say they’re trying to determine which cars are still burning. An evacuation order remained in place for residents within a mile of the scene, and the local air quality is being monitored. There was no immediate word on what caused the derailment.