A CSX train derailment Monday afternoon in West Virginia caused multiple explosions and a massive fire in Fayette County, according to Lawrence Messina, the state’s public safety spokesman.
At least one home near the derailment caught fire and has been destroyed, Messina said.
The train was hauling crude oil, which may be leaking from at least one of the cars, Messina said. There are no reported injuries, Messina said.
“Our concern is oil is leaking into the Kanawha River,” he said. Two water-intakes downstream used for processing drinking water have been shut down out of caution, he said.
Some of the tanker cars exploded and a portion of the river is on fire, according to the Kanawha County Emergency Management &Floodplain Management.
Adena Village, the location of the derailment, has been evacuated, Messina said, but it’s not clear how many people were involved in the evacuation.
Fayette County is more than 60 miles southeast of Charleston.
Pictures on social media, which a spokesman for the Montgomery Fire Department confirmed were of the scene, showed fire engulfing the train.
Heavy snow is falling in the area, but Messina said it is unclear if that will help extinguish the fire, which was still burning.
Numerous organizations responded to the incident, including the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Health and Human Resources, police and fire crews, Messina said.
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