WASHINGTON National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy on Thursday vowed to ensure accountability and propose new safety recommendations in its investigation into the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

Homendy said at the start of a two-day investigative hearing in Ohio the sessions "will help us determine what went wrong." She said the board "will then make safety recommendations to prevent similar derailments from ever happening again... It is our job to hold everyone accountable." The Norfolk Southern-operated train caught fire and releasing over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants prompting calls for safety reforms.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)