Around 9 p.m. on Feb. 3, a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio... There were 150 cars on the route from Madison, Ill., to Conway, Pa. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, said on Feb. 14 that 38 cars derailed and a fire ensued, which damaged another 12 cars.
The train, operated by Norfolk Southern, had been carrying chemicals and combustible materials, with vinyl chloride, a toxic flammable gas, being of most concern to investigators. A huge fire erupted from the derailment, sending thick billowing smoke into the sky and over the town...
Fearing an explosion, the authorities performed a controlled release of the toxic materials from five train car tankers on Feb. 6, and the contents were diverted to a trench and burned off.
Fish and chickens are reported dead, but there have been no human fatalities, so as far as population purges go, this one is a bust.