(The following Associated Press story was published on January 11 on the website of Portland television station KGW.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Repair crews swarmed over the Union Pacific tracks just west of The Dalles on Friday, following the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals.
Union Pacific officials sharply increased the number of cars involved in Thursday night’s derailment. Spokesman Mike Furtney said 44 cars of the 94 car train were affected, more than double the initial estimates.
The train had been traveling westbound at about 45 miles per hour between the eastern Oregon town of Hinkle and Portland. The two workers aboard were uninjured and no cause has been determined.
The train was carrying toxic chemicals, but soybean oil was the only thing leaking, said Capt. Joel Brown of Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue. The two workers aboard the Portland-bound train were not injured.
He identified the hazardous chemicals as arsenic acid, molten phenol and anhydrous ammonia. Their presence prompted officials to initially notify residents within a half mile radius to stay indoors and shut windows.
The derailment, near the Discovery Center and Taylor Lake area just off Interstate-84, is about a mile long.
No evacuations were required, and there were no closures of I-84.
Furtney said the rail line would be closed all weekend, with trains being diverted to a nearby Burlington Northern Santa Fe track.
The clean-up is going slow because the tracks lie between water and steep embankments.
Aerial shots of scene from KGW’s SKY 8 helicopter showed numerous toppled cars and others with their sides caved in.
Residents had flooded Wasco County 9-1-1 with calls reporting “a loud bang” coming from the direction of the railroad tracks about 7:30 p.m. Thursday when the derailment occured.
Because of the darkness and the terrain, authorities on Thursday night had been unable to immediately determine the exact condition of all the rail cars.