On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed after a railcar's wheel bearing overheated, causing a fire. Three days later, officials conducted a "controlled release" of several tank cars that were filled with vinyl chloride, a toxic and flammable gas that can cause certain cancers, to prevent an explosion.

Vice President JD Vance returned to East Palestine, Ohio, this week to mark two years since the toxic train derailment sent shockwaves through a small community.

A new lawsuit has been filed alleging for the first time that the February 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment resulted in deaths, according to The Associated Press.