During the cleanup of the train derailment, wagons with loose wheels were found, according to Norfolk Southern.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the lost cars were found in East Palestine, Ohio in a train wreck. The story has been updated to show Norfolk Southern was referring to the Springfield, Ohio derailment.

Railroad company Norfolk Southern, whose train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, contaminating neighborhoods with toxic chemicals, announced Thursday night that it had determined that some of its cars involved in another derailment had shattered wheels.

While cleaning up the crash site in Springfield, Ohio, Norfolk Southern investigators found that “a particular model and series of wagons had loose wheels,” the company said Thursday night. Investigators called the discovery “an urgent security concern.”

The wheels were taken from “a series of recently purchased vehicles from a specific manufacturer,” Norfolk Southern said. Norfolk Southern did not name a manufacturer or say whether or how many of the cars specifically involved in the Springfield derailment were part of this model and series.

The crash in Springfield happened on Sunday. Twenty cars of a 212-car train derailed, CBS Pittsburgh reported, forcing about 1,000 residents to take shelter in place as a precaution. About 1,500 people lost power. No toxic chemicals were involved in the crash.

The Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were “immediately notified and have begun reviewing other railcars in this series in our network,” Norfolk Southern said.

The company added that the cause of the accident is still being investigated.

The announcement came on the same day that Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw appeared before a Senate panel to discuss the East Palestine crisis and several recent Norfolk Southern train derailments, including one earlier Thursday in Alabama. Shaw promised that the company would “thoroughly and urgently clean up the site. We are making progress every day.”

He added that the company has also provided $20 million in reimbursement and investments to families and first responders affected by the incident.

On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a fiery accident in East Palestine. Of the 38 railcars that were derailed, about 10 contained hazardous materials. Hundreds of residents were evacuated, and crews later made a controlled release of toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, due to the risk that the derailment could cause an explosion.

State and federal officials have faced significant criticism over their response to the East Palestine incident, as locals were concerned that pollution in the area could pose a significant long-term health risk.

— Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.

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