Photos, videos of dead birds are unrelated to Ohio derailment

The recent burning of toxic chemicals at the site of a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has left concerned residents seeking answers about potential health effects on their families as well as pets, livestock and wildlife in the area. CLAIM: Photo shows birds that “dropped dead” in Kentucky following the Ohio derailment. Marty Benson, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, told the AP that although the DNR “has not been on the site of this incident,” it is possible the birds “suffered electrocution from a power surge on the line.” He noted that disease is an unlikely culprit, as that would result in “a wider dispersion of the birds on the ground.” Michael Bianski, a spokesperson for Indiana Michigan Power Co., which services the area in which the video was shot, said that a more plausible explanation is a phenomenon called conductor, or line, gallop — the sudden, rapid movement of power lines caused by wind gusts. According to Bianski, it is “highly unlikely” the birds were electrocuted, given that they only appeared to be touching one power line and “electricity is dangerous when it is trying to move between two objects or finding a path to the ground.” — Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report. “Here’s a parking lot full of DEAD BIRDS in Lexington, KY. 350 miles SW of East Palestine, OH,” reads one post on Twitter with hashtags such as “#OhioChemicalDisaster” and “#OhioCoverup.” “Dead birds falling from the sky in LEXINGTON KY. Did Ohio chemical spill make it to Lexington?!