An evacuation order remained in place Monday for part of a northwest Iowa town as firefighters worked to extinguish a burning train after a weekend derailment.

About 47 cars derailed Sunday afternoon near Sibley, including several cars that were carrying hazardous materials. The resulting fire created a thick plume of black smoke but no injuries were reported.

Sibley is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines. The west end of the town was evacuated after the derailment.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said the railroad's hazardous materials experts worked with first responders through the night to contain the blaze.

Tysver said several cars involved in the derailment were carrying hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide and asphalt. An empty tank car on the train had been carrying liquid ammonia nitrate.

The railroad said the cause of the derailment remains under investigation, but witnesses reported that a bridge had collapsed underneath the train.

Robin Eggink told the Des Moines Register that she and her husband noticed the train slowing down followed by a big cloud of smoke as they were eating at a Pizza Hut outside of Sibley on Sunday. The family drove near the site of the smoke and saw the train split in two on both sides of a bridge that had collapsed before firefighters ordered them out of the area, Eggink said.

Share:
More In Culture
Matt Amodio Jeopardy! Win Moves Him to Second on All-Time List
Jeopardy! had to change up the top of its list of consecutive games winners after contestant Matt Amodio won his 33rd straight game. Amodio, who passed former champ James Holzhauer, is now only second to 2004's 74-win-streak champ Ken Jennings and has so far collected $1.26 million.
Flor de Maria Rivera on the Success of Her Self-Titled Shoe Line, Hard Work of Immigrants
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Cheddar is highlighting Flor de Maria Rivera and her eponymous shoe line Flor de Maria. She joined Cheddar’s "Closing Bell” to talk about her rise in the shoe industry and the cultural influences of her background that inspired various shoe designs. "If you stay consistent, if you work hard, you follow your dreams, if you work extremely hard, then you can pretty much accomplish anything you want," the entrepreneur and immigrant from Peru said.
Everything You Need to Know About Filling Out FAFSA
Charlie Javice, Founder of Frank, joins ChedHER to discuss everything you should have prepared when you go to fill out your FAFSA, and how its acquisition by JPMorgan Chase is going to help reach more students.
Load More