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No one was injured following a freight train derailment near Route 32 in Mansfield Thursday, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Officials say that around 9 a.m., a 41-car New England Central Railroad freight train with two engines was traveling south and derailed along the Willimantic River. They say 13 cars derailed, including six that contained liquid propane. Some of those cars also fell into the river. A conductor and engineer were on the train at the time of the derailment, but no one was injured, according to officials. DEEP says one of the derailed cars that was carrying cooking grease leaked 2,500 gallons, but was contained. Along with propane and grease, some of the cars had lumber and grain on board. A shelter-in-place order remained in place as of Thursday night for residents who live within a half mile of 1090 Stafford Road in Mansfield. A local state of emergency was also declared by the Town of Mansfield in order to facilitate a response and a cleanup operation.
The derailment happened three and a half miles from UConn's campus in Storrs. School and town officials say the incident should not impact the campus.
Route 32 remains closed between 44E and Route 275. There is no evacuation order for the area around the derailment.
Hazmat teams remained on scene Thursday to respond to any leaks or breaches. DEEP says heavy-duty clean-up equipment and cranes were expected to arrive Thursday night. Additional equipment will be there on Friday.
DEEP says an environmental containment has been established to prevent surface water impacts, with downstream monitoring ongoing. Air monitoring also continues with multiple gas meters deployed across the site, currently showing acceptable levels. The cleanup is expected to take a few days, officials say. Officials are asking people to avoid the area and find alternative routes.
The Mansfield Fire Department and DESPP's Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will hold a press conference Friday morning to provide an update on the incident and cleanup.