Train derailment branded 'our Chernobyl' after spewing toxic gas into air
Residents in the town left reeling after a train crash spewed toxic gas into the air has branded the incident "our Chernobyl".
The fiery wreck saw about 50 cars derailing on the evening of February 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, US.
Vinyl chloride was released into the air from five of those cars before crews ignited it to get rid of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals, creating a dark plume of smoke seen for miles around.
Although residents have been allowed to return to their homes, they are being advised to not drink the water.
Thousands of dead fish have also been found in local streams and reports of livestock dying have sparked fears the contamination is far worse than initial reports suggested.
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A memorial for someone that was killed by a train in East Palestine sits charred next to the wreckage (Getty Images)East Palestine resident John Hammer, whose garbage truck business was just metres from the crash site compared the incident to Chernobyl, the nuclear disaster in Ukraine.
John and his wife Lisa spent 18 years building the business in East Palestine from just five customers to more than 7,000 but now think they're going to have to leave.
"It's totally wrecked our life," he told the BBC.
He added: "I'm at the point now where I want out of here.
Black smoke spewing from the crash site (Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)"We're going to relocate. We can't do it no more."
As he spoke to the reporter his eyes were red and swollen, something he attributes to the chemicals released following the crash.
He says that several long-standing customers have cancelled business and are planning to move out the town.
Mary Mertz, the director of Ohio's Department of Natural Resources, has said an around 3,500 dead fish have been found in nearby waterways.
Officials have acknowledged the Ohio River is contaminated but they say water supplies are not affected.
Alan Shaw, the CEO of Norfolk Southern the company operating the derailed train, wrote in a letter that he recognised the residents are worried and left with "questions without answers".
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Locals were left furious after they didn't send a representative to a Q&A session about the crash on Wednesday, citing security concerns.
Residents are worried about the lasting impact of the chemical spill (AFP via Getty Images)A specialist in hazardous materials has now alarmed the community about the situation and urged all local residents to get a health check-up.
Silverado Caggiano told WKBN : "We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open."
The US Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed the presence of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene in the rail cars that were involved in the derailment.
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