NATION : Freight Train Derails in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska —  A freight train derailed near Fairbanks and spilled more than 100,000 gallons of jet and diesel fuel, state officials said today.

The southbound train with more than 50 cars derailed about 1:30 p.m. Monday, said Arnold Polanchek, vice president of operations for the state-owned Alaska Railroad Corp.

The fuel probably would have run into nearby Goldstream Creek were it not for some beaver dams nearby that held it back, state environmental official Paul Bateman said. There were no immediate reports of whether any beavers or other wildlife were harmed.

“We’ve got cars upside down, sideways, holed on both ends. They’re in all shape and condition. It’s a mess,” Bateman said. He said at least 14 cars were leaking.

By early today, pumps and hoses had begun pumping the fuel off the ground, Bateman said. A bulldozer was used to build a temporary earthen dike around the spill.