MANSFIELD, Conn. — A shelter-in-place order remained in effect as of 4 p.m. ET near the site of a derailment of a New England Central train today (Feb. 5), but no leaks have been detected among derailed cars carrying liquid propane.
The shelter-in-place order was issued shortly after the derailment at 9:22 a.m. in the town of Mansfield. It covers those within a half-mile of the scene.
Officials say the derailment involved 14 cars of a 41-car New England Central train en route from Palmer, Mass., to Willimantic River. Six of those cars were carrying liquid propane, WVIT-TV reports. Others were carrying cooking grease, lumber, and grain, according to Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache. About 2,500 gallons of grease leaked from one of the cars but that leak has been contained.
No injuries were reported.
A post on the town government’s Facebook page says a one-mile section of State Route 32 (Stafford Road) is closed between U.S. Route 44 and State Route 275, and that the closure is likely to be prolonged. Cleanup is expected to take several days.
Tom Ciuba, spokesman for New England Central parent Genesee & Wyoming, told the Connecticut Insider news site that at least two cars had gone into the Willimantic River, while two others were on the bank of the river.
New England Central operates a total of 345 miles in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It was acquired by G&W in 2012. Mansfield is approximately 60 miles northeast of New Haven, Conn.
— Revised and updated at 5:50 p.m. CT. To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
Note to Editor: The TV link shows that the cars were loaded with propane, not LNG. There is a difference.