Connecticut, USA – A freight train derailed Thursday morning in Connecticut, sending several cars, including some carrying flammable liquid propane, into the water. No leaks have been reported so far, officials said. State and local officials said the accident occurred around 9 a.m. in the town of Mansfield, near the confluence of Eagleville Lake and the Williamsburg River. Mansfield is a rural town in the eastern part of the state and home to the University of Connecticut.
Mansfield Fire Chief John Roach explained during an afternoon press briefing that several of the train’s 41 cars derailed. He added that four cars carrying liquid propane ended up in the water. Two other cars carrying cooking fats fell onto the riverbank. According to Roach, one of the fat cars was damaged, resulting in a spill of approximately 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of animal fat. However, the spill was contained, and there is no evidence that the fat reached the water.
Roach confirmed that no injuries were reported. He noted that the cause of the derailment is still under investigation. The train was traveling south from Palmer, Massachusetts, to Williamsport. Late Thursday, town officials said the shelter-in-place order, issued hours earlier for residents within a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) radius of the derailment, would remain in effect. They also emphasized that no evacuation orders had been issued. Officials urged residents to stay indoors. They explained that the liquid propane the train was carrying is odorless and therefore cannot be immediately detected by smell.
