On Monday, a truck carrying contaminated soil from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment zone tipped over in an accident in Columbiana County, according to media reports.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says that around 1 p.m., troopers were called to the area of Route 165 near Waterford Road over an accident involving a tractor and trailer.
"The preliminary investigation revealed that the commercial vehicle was traveling northbound when it went off of the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and utility pole, and ultimately overturned," law enforcement said as quoted by media.
Out of 40,000 pounds of contaminated soil which the truck was carrying, about 20,000 pounds of soil spilled onto the roadway and berm.
The cause of the crash is yet unclear.
The United States has recently experienced a number of rail accidents. Train derailments occur relatively frequently in the United States, with around 1,000 incidents happening each year, according to media reports. These mishaps can be caused by a variety of factors, including track defects, train equipment failure, human error, and environmental conditions. While many derailments may only cause minor property damage, some can lead to serious injuries or even fatalities.
In March, the media reported that a freight train transporting hazardous substances derailed near the town of Topock in Mohave County, the US state of Arizona. Another railroad incident took place on February 3, when a train hauling 20 cars from Norfolk Southern with hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. A huge fire broke out due to the derailment, leading to officials burning vinyl chloride inside five of the tanker cars to avoid a catastrophic explosion. The accident released toxic chemicals, including hydrogen chloride, phosgene, butyl acrylate, and ethylene, into the atmosphere.