Trump was speaking Wednesday in the small town of eastern Palestine, where a freight train loaded with dangerous chemicals derailed and caught fire in early February. Large quantities of the sometimes highly toxic substances had polluted the air and ended up in the soil and water.
Trump announced that he would be handing out thousands of bottles of drinking water. He also criticized the administration of his successor, Joe Biden. They didn’t send help quickly enough after the accident. “What this community needs right now is not excuses, but answers and results,” Trump said. The White House announced that President Biden was briefed on the situation in eastern Palestine during his trip to Europe on Tuesday.
Trump said he hopes Biden has some money left over from his trip to Ukraine when he comes to eastern Palestine. With this he responded to criticism from some Republicans that the US government gave too much aid to Ukraine and did not pay enough attention to the problems at home. Trump claimed that precisely because of his visit, the government is now paying more attention to those affected.
So far, no senior government representative has been at the scene of the accident. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also announced a trip to eastern Palestine for Thursday on Wednesday. Buttigieg explained to his late visit, over two weeks after the accident, that he wanted to give investigators enough time to conduct an independent investigation into the accident.
On February 3, 38 cars of the 150-car train derailed and some caught fire. Large quantities of the sometimes highly toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride ended up in the environment. A huge cloud of smoke hung over the place. He was temporarily evacuated. After the accident, local residents complained of health problems, including headaches, irritated eyes and skin rashes. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
