A Feb. 18 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) makes a serious allegation about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3.
“What better way to usher rural off grid folks who have no dependency on the system into their 15 minute cities (than) by making their environment (un)inhabitable through deliberate poisoning of their water and air,” reads the text in the post. “Problem - Reaction - Solution. OHIO.”
The post garnered more than 200 likes in a month.
Other versions of this claim have been circulating on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Telegram and Truth Social.
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There’s no evidence the train derailment in East Palestine was deliberate. A spokesperson for Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb said the posts distort the city’s plan to adopt elements of the 15-minute cities framework.
On Feb. 3, a train operated by Norfolk Southern was traveling to Pennsylvania when multiple rail cars derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Some of the derailed cars contained hazardous materials, prompting authorities to evacuate residents due to the threat of a possible explosion.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the derailment, has found "no indication" it was intentional, spokesperson Keith Holloway said in...
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