Oregon's Transportation Department now says it was 14 oil tank cars that derailed in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, and four that caught fire, according to news reports June 4 from WISTV.com. Earlier reports said 11 cars derailed Friday, and it was not immediately clear how many had caught fire. The fire was extinguished a little after 2 am June 4.
The derailment raised fresh fears among environmentalists who have long argued against shipping oil by rail--especially through populated areas or along a river that's a hub of recreation and commerce, according to reports from WRAL.com. The tank cars were carrying especially volatile crude from the Northern Plains' Bakken region, which has a higher gas content and vapor pressure than other types of oil.
Turning overseas, officers from Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have foiled a man's attempt to smuggle more than 6,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes into Singapore, according to AsiaOne. In a statement ICA said that they had stopped a Malaysia-registered truck with a 40-foot bitumen tank trailer and directed it to undergo checks at Tuas checkpoint.