A train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, prompted an array of false and misleading claims on social media, where posts built on speculation, assumptions or outright falsehoods accumulated thousands of shares and millions of views.
The incident began shortly before 9 p.m. Feb. 3 when a Norfolk Southern train left the tracks while traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania. A total of 38 cars derailed and a fire ensued, damaging another 12 cars, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. There were 20 cars carrying hazardous materials, 11 of which derailed.
Residents were ordered to evacuate when, due to the threat of a possible explosion, authorities chose to breach five tankers filled with vinyl chloride, sending hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a toxic gas, into the air.
Here are some of the claims that spread most online in the wake of the chaos.
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East Palestine was placed under a state of emergency and temporary evacuation orders, but there is no indication citizens are being prevented from traveling in and out of the town.
"East Palestine is not in lockdown," James Lee, the media relations manager for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said in an email to USA TODAY.
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