Residents of Kentucky town allowed to return home after train derailment

The residents of Livingston, Ky., a population of less than 200 people, can now return to their homes after evacuating Wednesday over air quality concerns caused by the derailment. According to a statement by CSX, the company that operated the train, 16 railway cars derailed Wednesday afternoon. Two of the cars spilled molten sulfur, causing a fire. That prompted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to declare a state of emergency in Rockcastle County.

How did the train derail? Officials have not announced a reason for the derailment. The fire was extinguished by Thursday afternoon. Authorities used special equipment to conduct air quality testing and deemed the area safe for residents.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in WORLD Magazine about train safety after the East Palestine derailment.