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The three trains derailed near Riverside Drive in Lower Saucon Township at 7:15 a.m. on March 2, officials explained.
Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure released the following statements about the crash:
"There has been a train derailment in L. Saucon Twp. Preliminarily there are no evacuations, no injuries and no leaks. However, this can change. The best thing we can do to assist first responders is to STAY AWAY.""The County of Northampton wants to make clear there is no currently no danger to the general public due to the derailment."
The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary investigation indicates that that an eastboud train struck another train parked on the tracks, and cars that derailed struck anouther train derail that one, which was on the westbound track, township officials explained at a press conference and NTSB detailed in an email to Daily Voice. NTSB added in the email around 6 p.m. that "NTSB will be sending a team comprised of experts in train operations, signals & train control, mechanical systems, and human performance. They expect to arrive on scene later today."
NSCorp said the following in part in its email to Daily Voice:
"Our crews and contractors will remain on-scene over the coming days to cleanup, and we appreciate the public’s patience while they work as quickly, thoroughly, and as safely as possible. We are always working to advance safety. The NTSB is investigating this incident, and we will work closely with them to understand how it happened and prevent others like it."
Diesel fuel from one locomotive spilled into the river and booms were being used to contain it as hazmat crews worked to vaccum it out, the Lower Saucon Township Police explained at the press conference.
Polypropylene pellets did spill out of one car and Norfolk Southern and hazmat crews are working to clean it up, the police said.
Both the west and east tracks have been shut down as crews will remain on the scene for the next few days, county officials explained.
Details about how this hapened were not released as the NSCorp and the NTSB investigations are ongoing.
No injuries were reported.
Check back here for possible updates.
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