Ohio train derailment a "disaster waiting to happen" amid lack of safety regulation: U.S. media

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The derailment of the freight train carrying chemicals in the U.S. state of Ohio earlier this month is "a situation that plays out far too often across the country" amid weak safety regulations, a U.S. magazine reported.

With each chemical having a specific degree of hazard, the incident has set off a chain of reactions, including the evacuation of a town of some 5,000 people, the death of fish in local waterways, and the necessity of monitoring the local air for pollutants, non-profit Grist said in a piece published on Tuesday.

Since the U.S. rail industry has been for years plagued by harsh working conditions and a lack of rigorous safety standards, train incidents and accidents are quite common for the country, according to the magazine.

Assessing the derailment, Justin Mikulka, a reporter who focuses on researching the rail industry's pitfalls and disasters, said weakened regulations and a rush to reopen are to be expected.

"While the trains are still burning, they're rebuilding the rails," and "it's again an excellent example of how they put profit over public safety," Mikulka was quoted by Grist as saying.