BREAKING: Major Train Derailment In Pennsylvania Leads To Evacuations

Evacuation efforts are underway in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia at the site of a horrific derailment by a train said to be carrying hazardous materials.

Authorities with the train company CSX told a local Fox affiliate that the 16-car train derailed early Monday morning in Whitemarsh Township and that hazmat officials were responding because two of the cars are believed to contain hazardous materials.

Sky footage of the accident shows the 40-car crash mangled the railroad tracks sitting beneath it.

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In a statement, the train company CSX claimed that no hazardous material has yet been found in a leak or spill that would jeopardize public safety. However, residents and businesses closest to the site of the crash were evacuated out of an abundance of caution by the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Response Team.

“At approximately 4:50 a.m. ET today, a CSX train carrying 40 cars derailed around 16 cars on Norfolk Southern tracks near the intersection of Joshua and Flourtown Road in Whitemarsh, PA. While preliminary reports indicate that one car transporting hazardous material was involved in the incident, there is no indication of any leaks or spills of hazardous materials and there are no injuries to the crew of the train. The local fire department responded and declared an evacuation of just over a dozen homes out of an abundance of caution.”

In a tweet acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said, “My team and I are monitoring the train derailment in Whitemarsh Twp and assisting local first responders. Thank you to the residents taking precautions at the direction of local authorities. I urge you to continue following their instruction.”

My team and I are monitoring the train derailment in Whitemarsh Twp and assisting local first responders.

Thank you to the residents taking precautions at the direction of local authorities. I urge you to continue following their instruction.https://t.co/sY7tjDwPNX

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) July 17, 2023

The U.S. Department of Transportation added that officials with the Federal Railroad Administration are on their way to Montgomery County to assist with the investigation and gather information.

FRA safety personnel are en route to the scene of a derailment in Montgomery County, PA, to gather information.  FRA will work with local officials on the ground, and encourages residents to follow their guidance.

— The FRA (@USDOTFRA) July 17, 2023

So far no injuries have been reported from the crash.

Monday’s derailment is the latest in a series that have occurred in recent months under USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, notably in East Palestine, Ohio where hazardous material spills sparked massive evacuation efforts and calls for President Joe Biden to declare a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration.  In April, a Montana crash led to spillage seeping into a nearby river.