A freight train derailed in a Chicago suburb on Thursday, prompting an evacuation order that was later rescinded by local officials, according to an advisory.
The Village of Matteson at around 12 p.m. local time on Thursday announced the evacuation of residents in multiple areas near the derailment near 217th Street and Main “due to a large-scale train event.” It also advised residents “for a long-term evacuation” and urged them to “take any medication and supplies you may need with you.”
Several hours later, the village said it lifted the mandatory evacuation order, and “the area is now secure.” It added that there “is no immediate danger to the public, but we encourage everyone to remain clear of the area to allow crews to safely and efficiently conduct the clean-up process.”
Local officials told a Chicago affiliate Fox News station that a Canadian National Railway train derailed near the 21000 block of Main Street at around 10:45 a.m. local time. It’s not clear what the train was hauling.
Before the order was lifted, according to the village’s announcement, people who live one mile south of Main Street were told to evacuate, while areas a mile west of Main Street and a quarter of a mile east of Main Street were told to evacuate.
Metra Electric trains from Chicago to University Park were affected for several hours. They were cleared to go through the area later on Thursday, officials said.
It’s not clear what the train was hauling. Officials told local media that hazmat crews were on the scene of the derailment, suggesting it may have been carrying a type of hazardous material.
The fire department was checking the train cars for any potential chemical leaks, they told Fox Chicago. Canadian National Railway representatives are also heading to the scene for an investigation, the station reported.
A spokesman for Canadian National Railway told ABC Chicago that ten train cars that were carrying “various substances” derailed in the incident.
Photos and video footage taken from the scene show that more than a half-dozen train cars were off the track.
The cause of the derailment has not been revealed. No injuries have been reported.
It comes as the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board made allegations against U.S. train operator Norfolk Southern in how it dealt with the February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that led to the burning of vinyl chloride, a highly toxic substance, that was being hauled.
The Epoch Times contacted the Canadian National Railway for comment.
Matteson is located in Cook County, Illinois, around 30 miles south of Chicago.
From The Epoch Times
