US residents file lawsuits after release of toxic chemicals from train wreak in Ohio

Angry and exasperated, residents in a small town in eastern Ohio, approximately 400 kilometers from the Canada-US border, have sued the train company that spilled toxic chemicals even as authorities look to cover up the catastrophic event.

In at least four lawsuits in state and federal courts, the train company has been accused of negligent behavior through poor handling of hazardous materials like vinyl chloride, putting tens of thousands of lives at risk. 

According to American media, including the New York Times, Ohio and federal regulators are still assessing environmental and health damage from it.

Earlier this month, a small town of East Palestine, just south of Lake Erie in Ohio, saw a nightmarish scenario unfolding when a train crashed and exploded, spewing toxic chemicals into the environment.

To control the explosions, the officials released the contents of five tankers full of vinyl chloride, a colorless gas associated with forms of liver and lung cancer.

The fire creates a massive plume of phosgene gas and hydrogen chloride in a massive mushroom black cloud. Phosgene gas is a highly toxic colorless gas that can cause breathing troubles and was used as a weapon in World War I.

According to the New York Times, close to 2,000 residents from Ohio within a 2-mile radius of the incident were ordered to evacuate, after which officials carried out a "controlled release" and burning of the chemicals to avert a large explosion.

Residents fear for their health even as concerns rise about its effect on the environment and the local transportation network.

Norfolk Southern Railroad Company, the operator of the train, is being blamed for helping lobby against railroad safety regulations that could have minimized the damage. Since February 8, a series of class action lawsuits have been filed against the company.

ME