Oil Train Explodes in W. Virginia

A train transporting more than 100 tankers of crude oil across West Virginia derailed and exploded during a snowstorm about 30 miles southeast of Charleston on Monday. Officials said 14 to 17 tank cars were on fire, with one car sliding into the Kanawha River and another hitting a house and bursting into flames. Local reports estimate as many as 1,000 people were evacuated in the surrounding area and one person was being examined for smoke inhalation. No fatalities were reported. Federal authorities are still investigating what caused the train to derail. Authorities shut down two water-treatment plants after oil spilled into the river and threatened the water supply. Cleanup is expected to take several days and fires continued to burn almost nine hours after the incident, according to state public safety division spokesman Lawrence Messina. West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin issued a state of emergency for Kanawha and Fayette counties.