Image of crews working to cleanup an ethanol spill following a train derailment in Ripley on March 1, 2016. (Image courtesy of Bryce Johnson)
RIPLEY – It was a busy day in Ripley on Wednesday as crews continued to remove some of the 16 cars from a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed Tuesday night, forcing the evacuation of nearly 100 residents from their homes.
Officials now say the derailment occurred around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officials say there were no injuries and no fires, but two of the three cars containing hazardous materials leaked.
Officials say 1 to 2 gallons of ethanol leaked per minute following the derailment, releasing 5,000-10,000 gallons of gas. Another derailed tanker also contained propane, but there didn’t appear to be any spill and the tanker was secure.
Because ethanol is highly flammable, the entire area was evacuated as a precaution. Thankfully, there was no fire or explosion and crews were able to clean up the majority of the spill by Wednesday night.
Up to 80 homes were evacuated, possibly displacing as many as 100 people. Some were able to find temporary shelter with friends or family. Others were taken to a hotel or stayed in the sanctuary of Ripley Methodist Church.
Also affected by the derailment is Amtrak passenger train service between Chicago and New York City. The Eastbound Lake Shore Limited service was stopping at Cleveland while the westbound train was stopping at Buffalo. Buses were ferrying passengers between the two cities.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration and the state Department of Transportation.
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