IOWA TRAIN DERAILMENT AS AUTHORITIES ORDER EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS
" As The Train Continues To Burn, Officials Order 80 People To Evacuate In Sibley Iowa."
May 17, 2021 By: Art Fletcher & Leonard Madison Reporting For: Englebrook Independent News,
Kevin Peterson, Contributing Reporting.
A train carrying a highly combustible fertilizer and asphalt, derailed and then caught fire, Officials reported. About 80 people living in the city in the northwestern section of Iowa were evacuated.
The derailment of about 47 rail cars took place at around 2:00 pm on Sunday in Sibley, said Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific. By 3:00 pm, local officials had text an evacuation order to people living nearby, citing "HAZMAT train derailment and fire."
There were no reported injuries or fatalities, stated Lucinda Parker, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The train was in route to North Platte, Nebraska, about 380 miles away, when the derailment took place, Ms. Tysver said on Monday. The cars affected were carrying asphalt, hydrochloric acid, which is commonly used in the processing of steel, and potassium hydroxide, also known as lye. One of the rail tank cars had also been carrying liquid ammonia nitrate, a highly combustible fertilizer.
" It was empty at the time of the derailment, but there was likely residue inside the car," Ms Tysver stated.
Sibley, which is located about 80 miles north of Sioux City, and has a population of around 2,700. Due to the wind on Monday morning, smoke was drifting toward the countryside and away from the town, Sibley City Administrator stated. He further added it was fortunate that the derailment took place on Sunday afternoon, when there weren't many people in the downtown area.
As the train continued to burn Monday afternoon, fire units continued to hose the cars down, avoiding potential explosions, Officials stated that the best way in handling the situation, would be to allow the fire to burn itself out, a process that could take from 12 hours to 2 days.
FILED UNDER MAY 17, 2021, IOWA DERAILMENT: