PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on a train derailment in Oregon’s scenic Columbia River Gorge (all times local):
3:20 p.m.
A Union Pacific spokesman says that a derailment that caused a fire in Oregon’s scenic Columbia River Gorge caused an oil leak.
Aaron Hunt said Friday that 11 cars in the 96-car train derailed around noon near Mosier, about 70 miles east of Portland.
There were no fatalities or injuries.
The train was hauling oil from Eastport, Idaho, and was headed for Tacoma, Washington.
It was carrying Bakken crude oil, a type of oil known to be highly volatile.
A large plume of black smoke was visible over the gorge as the oil caught fire.
Union Pacific was sending a hazardous response team to contain the oil.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much was released.
Maia Bellon, director of Washington state’s Department of Ecology, says no oil has been spotted in the Columbia River.
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1:45 p.m.
A train towing cars full of oil has derailed in Oregon’s scenic Columbia River Gorge, sparking a fire that is sending a plume of black smoke high into the sky.
The accident near Mosier, Oregon, happened just after the noon hour Friday.
Ken Armstrong, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, says the incident involves eight cars filled with oil and one is burning.
Highway 84 is closed for a quarter-mile near the site, and the radius for evacuations was a half-mile.
The train was operated by Union Pacific. A spokesman for the railroad didn’t immediately return calls.
Mosier is about 70 miles east of Portland.
