MANSFIELD, Conn. — A freight train carrying liquified natural gas derailed on Thursday in Connecticut, with some of its 14 cars plunging into a river, authorities said.
According to the Connecticut State Police, the derailment occurred near Route 32 in Mansfield at 9:22 a.m. ET, two miles from the Storrs campus of the University of Connecticut.
Six of the cars that were derailed were carrying liquid propane for home heating, Bill Turner, the Connecticut emergency management director, told WSFB. Four others were carrying grease, while other cars were hauling grain and lumber, Turner said.
A shelter in place has been issued for Mansfield residents in a half-mile radius of a train derailment involving flammable gas this morning.
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At least five of the train cars tumbled into the Willimantic River, the Hartford Courant reported.
No injuries were reported.
Officials with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) initially said an evacuation was “likely,” but later revised it to a “shelter in place” order, WTNH reported.
“There is concern for hazardous material contamination, but that has not yet been confirmed,” Mansfield town officials wrote in a news release. “No evacuations are ordered at this time, but please watch for updates as authorities on the scene evaluate the situation.”
Officials said the shelter-in-place order extended in a half-mile radius from the derailment site.
The rail line near the derailment site is operated by New England Central, according to CSX Transportation.
In a statement, Tom Ciuba of New England Central Railroad said there was “no indication” that any of the train cars were leaking.
Officials at UConn said in an alert that the derailment “does not have any impact on the operations or safety” of its campuses.
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