Train carrying crude oil derails in West Virginia

A CSX train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed on 16 February at around 1.20 pm (local time) near Mount Carbon, West Virginia, causing an explosion and resulting fire. Residents of nearby Adena Village and Boomer have been urged to evacuate.

The tanker cars were loaded with Bakken crude from North Dakota and headed to Yorktown, Virginia. The state was under a winter storm warning at the time, reporting heavy snowfall. Currently, it is unclear whether the weather conditions contributed to the crash.

At least 14 train cars were affected by the incident, while one was sent into the Kanawha River. Lawrence Messina of the State Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety told local press that the car is leaking oil into the river. As a result, officials have shut down two local water treatment facilities.

In a statement, CSX noted that one person was being treated for potential inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.

Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling

Sources: BBC News, Aljazeera America, Yahoo News

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/17022015/train-carrying-crude-oil-derails-in-west-virginia-264/