Chemical Spills Into River; Highway Shut

A punctured train car spilled 28,000 gallons of liquid chemical into a river near Shreveport, La. The accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., when an engine with one car attached was trying to hook up to another car, a Union Pacific Railroad spokesman said. The coupling device was not properly lined up and pierced the second car. Most of the 2-ethylhexanol leaked into the Red River, and about 4,000 to 5,000 gallons spilled onto the ground, police said. There were no serious injuries. Nearby Interstate 20 was closed for most of the morning because of fumes.