Transport and Infrastructure Disasters

[wjfox]

Ohio catastrophe is ‘wake-up call’ to dangers of deadly train derailments

Sat 11 Feb 2023 10.00 GMT

Five days after a train carrying vinyl chloride derailed and exploded near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, crews ignited a controlled burn of toxic chemicals to prevent a much more dangerous explosion.

Thousands in East Palestine, a town of about 5,000 people, evacuated, and officials warned the controlled burn would create a phosgene and hydrogen chloride plume across the region. Phosgene is a highly toxic gas that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble, and was used as a weapon in the first world war.

Though no one died in the accident, the catastrophe serves as a wake-up call to the potential for more deadly freight rail derailments, public health advocates warn. By one estimate, 25 million Americans live in an oil train blast zone, and had the derailment occurred just a few miles east, it would be burning in downtown Pittsburgh, with tens of thousands of residents in immediate danger.

Ineffective oversight and a largely self-monitoring industry that has cut the nation’s rail workforce to the bone in recent years as it puts record profits over safety is responsible for the wreck, said Ron Kaminkow, an Amtrak locomotive engineer and former Norfolk Southern freight engineer.

“The Palestine wreck is the tip of the iceberg and a red flag,” said Kaminkow, who is secretary for the Railroad Workers United, a non-profit labor group that coordinates with the nation’s rail unions. “If something is not done, then it’s going to get worse, and the next derailment could be cataclysmic.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ke-up-call

[wjfox]

[Nanotechandmorefuture]

We got a similar situation to Ohio here as well. Source:

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023 ... s-to-burn/

A waste-to-energy facility in Doral continued to burn Monday, one day after catching fire and sparking a massive blaze.

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

More than a dozen hurt in industrial blast outside Cleveland
Source: NBC News

More than a dozen people were injured, at least one critically, in an industrial plant explosion outside Cleveland on Monday, NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland reported.

The late-morning blast at the I Schumann & Co. metal alloy manufacturer in Oakwood Village southeast of Cleveland was described by a captain with the Oakwood Fire Department as a "large explosion."

The official said at least one person was flown by helicopter to a hospital. The subsequent fire was under control Monday afternoon, but crews were still working on hot spots, the captain said.

The blast sent debris across the street, produced a crater in a building, and created a smoke plume that could be seen for miles, according to social media video reviewed by NBC News and as seen in affiliate footage from the scene.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/do ... -rcna71518

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Greece train crash: at least 36 killed and dozens injured in collision
Source: The Guardian

At least 36 people have been killed and 85 injured after two trains collided near the town of Tempe in central Greece, the fire brigade said.

A passenger train, travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, and a cargo train, going from Thessaloniki to Larissa, collided head-on outside the central city, Konstantinos Agorastos, the governor of the Thessaly region, told local media.

“The collision was very strong,” he said, adding that the first four carriages had derailed, while the first two were “almost completely destroyed”.

Agorastos said about 194 passengers were evacuated safely to Thessaloniki on buses.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... derailment

[caltrek]

Amid Hollow Pledges from Rail Industry, Sec. of Transportation Buttigieg Must Act Now to Restore Obama-Era Safety Measures for Toxic Rail Cargo
March 9 , 2023

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) WASHINGTON - Today a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee was held to consider Protecting Public Health and the Environment in the Wake of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio. At the hearing, officials from Norfolk Southern Railroad, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and state and local agencies were questioned.
In response, Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:

“After years spent pushing to roll back the very sorts of safety regulations that would have prevented an accident like this, Alan Shaw’s apology today rings hollow. If Norfolk Southern had real concern for the safety of the countless communities like East Palestine through which their trains run, they would be calling for more safety measures for the industry. Instead they offer voluntary steps that can easily be undone, prioritizing profit margins over people.

“Our team has been on the ground since the burn-off, meeting and organizing residents, partnering with allied organizations to bring needed resources, and coordinating proper testing for families that have been turned away by the very regulatory agencies created to protect them. This should be a stark reminder that our government agencies are far from prepared to respond to these accidents in spite of how often they occur.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/ ... ail-cargo

[weatheriscool]

Trains derail in Arizona and Washington, with oil spilled on Puget Sound tribal land
Source: Associated Press


March 17, 20233:10 AM ET
By The Associated Press

Code: Select all

ANACORTES, Wash. — Two BNSF trains derailed in separate incidents in Arizona and Washington state on Thursday, with the latter spilling diesel fuel on tribal land along Puget Sound.

No injuries were reported. It wasn't clear what caused either derailment.

The derailment in Washington occurred on a berm along Padilla Bay, on the Swinomish tribal reservation near Anacortes. Most of 5,000 gallons (nearly 19,000 liters) of spilled diesel fuel leaked on the land side of the berm rather than toward the water, according to the state Ecology Department.

Officials said there were no indications the spill reached the water or affected any wildlife.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/17/11641443 ... d-tribal-l

[weatheriscool]

A train carrying ethanol derails and catches fire in Minnesota, forcing residents to flee

Source: CNN

CNN — A train hauling ethanol derailed Thursday morning in Raymond, Minnesota, igniting several rail cars and forcing nearby residents to evacuate, officials said. Preliminary information suggests 14 of the train’s 40 cars were carrying hazardous material, “including ethanol, which was released – leading to a fire,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Thursday.

The train was carrying mixed freight, including ethanol and corn syrup, said Lena Kent, general director of public affairs for BNSF Railway. Ethanol is a highly flammable chemical. Exposure can lead to coughing, dizziness, the feeling of burning eyes, drowsiness and unconsciousness.

The derailment happened around 1 a.m. Homes within a half-mile of the derailment were evacuated, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said. “There have been no injuries as a result of the crash or emergency response,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook. “BNSF specialists are on scene and continued mitigation is occurring.”

Brittney Phelps and her family were startled by a knock on their door at 1:30 a.m. It was a first responder going door to door telling residents to flee as a precaution. “I heard a loud crash but didn’t think anything of it ‘til ambulances were outside the house,” Phelps said.
She soon smelled the stench of ethanol and saw the wrecked train cars and large fire, Phelps told CNN.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/us/raymo ... index.html

[weatheriscool]

Covering over well at Indian temple collapses, killing 11
Source: AP

an hour ago

NEW DELHI (AP) — A structure built over an old temple well in India collapsed Thursday as a large crowd of devotees prayed at a festival for Rama, one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities, killing at least 11 people, officials said.

Up to 35 people fell into the well in the temple complex in Indore in central Madhya Pradesh state when the structure collapsed and were covered by falling debris, police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar said.

The structure apparently caved in because it could not handle the weight of the large crowd. The state’s top elected official, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, ordered an investigation.

Chouhan said 18 people were rescued and hospitalized with injuries.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/deadly-templ ... ebb0f9371f

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

2 Fort Campbell Black Hawk helicopters crash on training mission in Kentucky; 'fatalities are expect
Source: WKRN Channel 2 Nashville,TN (ABC)

Updated: Mar 30, 2023 / 03:09 AM CDT

Two 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) helicopters crashed in Trigg County, Kentucky, at approximately 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky, near Highway 68.

The aircraft were two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Crewmembers were flying the helicopters during a routine training mission when an “incident” occurred.

There is no word on exactly what led up to the crash.

...

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

Read more: https://www.wkrn.com/news/kentucky/trig ... r-crashes/

[weatheriscool]

Fuel and timber train derails after explosion on railway in Bryansk Oblast, Russia

2023/05/01 - 13:33 • Latest news Ukraine

A train carrying fuel and timber derailed and caught fire after an explosion on the railway in Unetsky district, Bryansk Oblast, which borders Ukraine. According to Governor Alexander Bogomaz, there were no casualties.

Governor Bogomaz reported in his Telegram channel that an unidentified explosive device detonated on the railway track, causing the locomotive of the freight train to derail. The incident occurred at the 136th kilometer of the Bryansk-Unetsa railway track.

The Russian Telegram channel “Baza” reported that the train was carrying 60 wagons loaded with fuel and timber, and that 7-8 of the wagons have overturned and caught fire. The extent of the damage caused by the explosion and subsequent fire is currently unknown.

Read more: https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/05/01/ ... /?swcfpc=1

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Texas petrochemical plant fire sends 9 workers to hospital
Source: AP

By JUAN LOZANO and ACACIA CORONADO today

HOUSTON (AP) — Fire erupted at a petrochemical plant in the Houston area Friday, sending nine workers to a hospital and causing a huge plume of smoke visible for miles.

Emergency responders were called to help around 3 p.m. at the Shell facility in Deer Park, a suburb east of Houston. The city of Deer Park said in an advisory that there was no shelter-in-place order for residents.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said earlier in the day that five contracted employees were hospitalized for precautionary reasons, adding that they were not burned. He said they were taken to a hospital due to heat exhaustion and proximity to the fire.

Shell Deer Park officials said on Twitter Friday night that they were continuing to respond to the fire, all workers were accounted for and nine workers had been released after undergoing precautionary medical evaluations.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/texas-housto ... d4e0e62e83

[weatheriscool]

Chinese investigators blame building collapse that killed 54 on shoddy, illegal construction
Source: AP

BEIJING (AP) — The collapse of a nine-story building in central China that killed 54 people last year was caused by shoddy, illegal construction and local officials’ failure to enforce standards, according to an official report released Sunday.

At least nine people including the building owner were reported arrested following the April 2022 disaster in Changsha, which trapped survivors under rubble for up to five days. Nine people were injured.

The report by investigators appointed by the ruling Communist Party said the collapse of the “self-built” structure was due by “illegal and irregular construction” and additions by residents, according to state TV. It said local authorities were “not serious” about enforcing building rules and “shirked responsibility.”

The report gave no indication of possible punishment for the owner and local officials.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/china-buildi ... dfbede9216

[caltrek]

Passengers and First Responders Recount the Horror of Deadly India Train Crash
by Kunal Sehgal, Ivan Watson, Ajay Bedi and Deepak Rao
June 3, 2023

Introduction:

Bahanaga, India CNN —
Authorities investigating one of the deadliest train crashes in India’s history were examining whether a signal failure led to the disaster, as rescue workers finished their search for survivors and overturned train cars were cleared from the tracks on Sunday.

Less than 48 hours after the devastating crash in eastern Odisha state, which left at least 275 dead and more than 1,000 injured, officials were rushing to resume rail services, with scores of workers toiling away in heat over 95 degrees Fahrenheit to get the tracks back online. With the rail routes still blocked, family members of deceased passengers had to find their way by other means to claim their loved ones.

At the site of the wreck, in the midst of farm fields, belongings of the many people who were on board the passenger trains when they collided with a freight train were still strewn across the ground. Suitcases, bags, shoes and personal items lined the tracks. Crushed rail carriages were rolled in a ditch, some lying on their side.

Deepak Behera, 37, had been playing football in the nearby town of Bahanaga within earshot of the crash on Friday evening. “For a moment we thought it was an earthquake,” he said.

Behera and other local residents rushed to the crash site to find hundreds of passengers packed into the overturned carriages in total darkness, desperately trying to find a way out. They used the flashlights on their mobile phones and began searching for survivors.

Read more here: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/04/asia/in ... dex.html

[weatheriscool]

Live: Truck fire causes I-95 collapse in Northeast Philadelphia
Source: WCAU Philadelphia

A truck fire burning under an I-95 on-ramp has caused a part of the roadway to collapse and the highway to be closed to traffic by officials early Sunday.

NBC's Randy Gyllenhaal reported that officials on scene said they’re investigating after the northbound side on I-95 collapsed before 8 a.m. and the southbound side is "compromised."

Gyllenhaal said that officials told him, "the roadway is gone."

Read more: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/lo ... a/3583285/