The County's statement about train derailment -- "White material" not an environmental risk

FIRE SERVICE

Laurens County Fire Service 7h Multi-Car Train Derailment LAURENS, S.C. — 7/27/2026 — Emergency responders are on the scene of a multi-car train derailment that occurred at approximately 5:20AM near Cross hill in Laurens County, South Carolina. Multiple agencies are assisting with the response. Hazardous materials were not involved and there is no threat to the public. Whitten road will be closed at the railroad crossing. We will update when the road is re opened. Please avoid this area! We will have additional information available at a later time.”

Additional county statement

The white material visible in the aerial photographs is a plastic polymer that spilled from one of the train cars. CSX is actively removing the material and has confirmed that it does not pose an environmental risk.

TRAIN CAR DERAILMENT IN LAURENS COUNTY

LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA – At 5:20am, Laurens County 911 Communications Center received a call stating that a train derailed near the Laurens County / Greenwood County line, extending into Laurens County. Laurens County first responders arrived on scene at 5:35am. At this time, there have not been any injuries reported and the cause of this derailment is currently unknown. 

This is an active investigation and information is limited; however, updates will be released once they are provided. 

Information Currently Available

Twenty-one (21) train cars were derailed near Whitten Road in Laurens County, South Carolina. Six (6) of those train cars have the capability to safely contain hazardous materials. CSX launched a hazmat team to inspect the 6 aforementioned train cars and confirmed that they did not contain hazardous materials. This derailment did not result in a hazardous spill and there is no threat of contamination from hazardous materials. 

All residents located on the south side of the train tracks that run perpendicular to Whitten Road will be unable to travel on Whitten Road until the scene is clear. Many residents in the area may have received a notification to “Shelter in Place.” Please be advised that this alert was not released as a result of an immediate threat to the safety of nearby residents. This alert was to inform citizens that an incident has occurred and that leaving the area is not possible at this time. 

In Case of a Medical Emergency

If a resident of the closed off area experiences a medical emergency, Laurens County personnel are fully capable of reaching the patient. Laurens County Emergency Medical Services (‘EMS’) and Laurens County Fire Services have deployed a UTV side-by-side, which can cross the train tracks. Upon responding to the emergency location, the first responders will be able to place the patient on the UTV side-by-side and transport them to first responders that will render aid as necessary. 

Current actions

At this time, we kindly ask for the residents located on the south side of the affected tracks to stay clear of the area. Whitten Road will be closed until the incident is resolved, which may take several hours. 

Laurens County personnel are working with CSX, as well as other responding state and county agencies, to ensure the incident is efficiently and safely cleared. We will advise the residents once the area is clear for travel. 

Thank you, Laurens County, for your patience and cooperation as we manage this incident.

Greenwood County Statement at 1:30 pm Monday: