A freight train derailed Thursday in Connecticut, sending cars carrying hazardous materials tumbling into a river, though officials say they don't appear to be leaking. Local and state officials said the incident happened shortly before 9:30am along the Willimantic River, in a rural part of Mansfield that's home to the University of Connecticut, the AP reports. Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache said 14 of the train's 43 cars fell off the tracks, and four of them carrying liquid propane ended up in the river, reports NBC Connecticut. Officials said one of the cars that derailed on land leaked 2,500 gallons of cooking grease.
Roache said that no one was hurt and that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Town officials issued a shelter-in-place order for those living within a half-mile of the derailment, though they stressed no evacuations have been ordered. Instead, they urged residents to remain indoors as the liquid propane the train was carrying is odorless and wouldn't be immediately detected by smell. The town closed a nearby roadway and said school officials are working on alternative bus routes for students when classes end.
"Fortunately, it seems under control," Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said at a news conference. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said state and local hazardous materials teams monitoring for leaks have placed hazmat booms in the water as a precaution. Roache said the recovery process could take days, given the derailment happened in a fairly remote location and under difficult, frigid conditions for responders. "It's not going to be a today operation," he said. "They're going to have to get some cranes in there. It's going to take some time."
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