Last year, several Ohio residents acted as extras in the Netflix film 'White Noise', a fictional tale about a family trying to resume their life after an "airborne toxic event". Today, hundreds of people, evacuated from Ohio's East Palestine after a train derailment, are wondering if it is safe to return home.
On February 3, 50 cars of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the Ohio town, igniting a huge blaze. The presence of hazardous materials kept the firefighters away for days. Though no one was injured in the derailment, the incident forced authorities to warn of a possible "major explosion", reports CNN.
Hundreds of people in East Palestine, which has a population of about 5,000, were evacuated as authorities planned to conduct a controlled burn to prevent a blast. After conducting a "controlled release" of vinyl chloride from five of the rail cars to control the situation, authorities assured residents that it was safe to return, reports The Washington Post.
But the release of vinyl chloride gas has created phosgene and hydrogen chloride across the town, with several people sharing photos and videos on social media of large plumes.
Phosgene is a highly toxic gas that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble and was used as a weapon in the first world war.
Animals falling sick and dying near the site of the train derailment have also stoked fears of potential health impact on humans, according to The New York Post.
