A train towing cars full of oil derailed on Friday in Oregon's scenic Columbia River Gorge, sparking a fire that sent a plume of black smoke high into the sky. According to witnesses, multiple cars derailed and smoke and flames can be seen in downtown Mosier near the Rock Creek overpass. The train is operated by Union Pacific, who had not returned calls at the time.
Live Feed:
From KSL
The accident happened just after noon near the town of Mosier, about 70 miles east of Portland. It involved eight cars filled with oil, and one was burning, said Ken Armstrong, state Forestry Department spokesman.
Highway 84 was 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.
Silas Bleakley was working at his restaurant in Mosier when the train derailed.
"You could feel it through the ground. It was more of a feeling than a noise," he told The Associated Press as smoke continued to billow from the tankers.
Bleakley said he went outside, saw the smoke and got in his truck and drove about 2,000 feet to a bridge that crosses the railroad tracks. There, he said he saw tanker cars "accordioned" across the tracks.
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Video of the incident…
#BREAKING Oil tanker train derails – catches fire in Oregon. https://t.co/RNRQy0oTnO pic.twitter.com/g4bTzasJJ4
— John Zuchelli (@tvzuke) June 3, 2016
Heavy traffic on SR 14 due to detour after oil train derailment. #MosierFire pic.twitter.com/SmuHvPPX7c
— Kyle Iboshi (@KyleIboshi) June 3, 2016
Watch oil train derailment, fire #liveonK2 https://t.co/7wKNOlcAJY pic.twitter.com/orpabZCLUH
— Stuart Tomlinson (@katuSTU) June 3, 2016
Oil train derailment near Mosier, OR. Sad sight to behold! Shot by me at Bingen Marina 15m ago pic.twitter.com/KKGdC28PDc
— Carl E. McNew (@cmcnew) June 3, 2016
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