U.S. Ohio opens clinic as health problems near toxic train track pile up

Train wreckage from the Feb. 3 derailment is seen piled up beside the railway on the outskirts of the village of East Palestine, Ohio, the United States, on Feb. 14, 2023. (Photo by Phil Zhang/Xinhua)

The U.S. state of Ohio will open a health clinic Tuesday for residents who worry their symptoms might be linked to the freight train derailment incident on Feb. 3 and the subsequent release of the toxic chemical vinyl chloride, said a CNN report on Tuesday.

Residents in East Palestine, Ohio, have reported a growing number of ailments -- from rashes to nausea to trouble breathing -- more than two weeks after a toxic train wreck unleashed plumes of black smoke, contaminated the soil and fueled anxiety of local residents, according to the report.

Medical teams from the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health will also reach Ohio this week at the request of Governor Mike DeWine, said the report, adding the teams will help assess what dangers might remain in the community of about 5,000 people.

"It's unclear what -- if any -- long-term health problems might arise from the train wreck," it said, adding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering indoor air screenings for residents within the evacuation area.