WASHINGTON U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued an executive order the White House said aims to hold railroad operator Norfolk Southern accountable over a freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year.

The order is meant "to ensure that Norfolk Southern continues to be held accountable for this disaster, to address any of the disaster’s long-term effects, and to ensure federal assistance is available to affected communities should needs develop that are not met by Norfolk Southern," the White House said in a statement.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)