In today’s news, an investigation has been launched into the cause of a train derailment in Reeseville, Wisconsin. With several questions yet to be answered, local authorities are running to the scene to assess any damage and try to reconstruct what happened. Read on to learn more about the incident and what authorities are doing to figure out how it happened.
Cause
On August 4th of 2019, the small town of Reeseville, Wisconsin was stunned when a freight train derailed at 4pm that afternoon. News of the event quickly spread across the nation, as a total of 24 freight cars jumped the track, 5 of which were leaking hazardous materials. Witnesses of the crash reported that the locomotives were so loud that homes in the area actually shook.
The cause of the derailment has since been attributed to the weather conditions. Heavy rainfall during the prior week likely eroded the railway embankment, leading to its weakening. Subsequent moisture in the ground weakened the overall structure until it gave way, sending the freight cars hurdling off the tracks.
Consequences
- 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled, threatening the groundwater of the local ecology.
- 2,000 gallons of lube oil contaminated nearby wetlands
- 300 gallons of ethylene glycol were leaked, entailing significant cleanup efforts.
Further consequences of the accident included several road closures due to the destruction of railcar debris across both sides of the tracks. Transportation of hazardous materials came to a screeching halt, while the extent of the damage to the residential areas had yet to be determined. Finally, the danger of additional pollution had to be assuaged before residential activity could commence.
This investigation into the train derailment in Reeseville is ongoing, and more information is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Only time will tell if the cause of the derailment was human error or a mechanical malfunction, but authorities are working diligently to get to the bottom of the incident. No matter the outcome, it is clear that Reeseville and the greater Wisconsin community have been greatly affected.