Oil train derails in US, fifth this year
USA
HEIMDAL, May 7, 2015 – A train transporting crude oil derailed in the US state of North Dakota on Wednesday, catching fire and leading to the evacuation of a small town nearby, the Reuters news agency has reported.
The train, operated by the BNSF freight railroad network, consisted of 109 cars, 107 of which were carrying oil. The railway company said six of the cars were on fire.
The incident is the fifth train derailment involving crude oil this year in the US and Canada, part of a rising trend resulting from a boom in the transportation of oil by rail.
Last Friday, the US Department of Transportation and the Canadian Ministry of Transport released new regulations for trains shipping oil. The rules included speed limits and requirements for updated technology, including newer-model oil cars.
According to National Geographic, the number of US incidents involving trains carrying crude oil rose from nine in 2010 to 143 in 2014.
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