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
Avoiding 'Mom Guilt' at Work; Empowering Women Through Jewelry
On this episode of ChedHER: Lissy Hu, CEO and Founder of CarePort, powered by WellSky, breaks down how to avoid 'mom guilt' at work; Katie Hotze, Founder and CEO of Grocery Shopii, explains how she's creating a platform that allows for personalized meal planning and recipes into a grocer's eCommerce platform; Nicole Wegman, Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, talks how she's creating luxury designs for women, by women.
How to Avoid 'Mom Guilt' in the Workplace
We are entering yet a new era of work across corporate America. Lissy Hu, CEO and Founder of CarePort, powered by WellSky, joins ChedHER to discuss what this new era means for working mothers, and how to avoid 'mom guilt' at work.
Ring Concierge CEO on Empowering Women Through Jewelry
The luxury jewelry industry is heavily male-dominated. Nicole Wegman, Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating luxury designs for women, by women and how social media has played a major role in building her business.
'Pitch Social' Aims to Change the Way We Meet People Online
Trying to meet people online has become a predictable routine. Now, one app is switching it up by allowing users to swipe right on plans and outings rather than faces. Pitch Social co-founders Daniel Antonio and Ryan Snowden joins Between Bells to talk about their app.
Playboy CEO on Success 2021 Earnings, Evolving the Iconic Brand
Playboy released its fourth quarter and full year 2021 results, reporting an annual revenue of $247 million, up 67 percent year-over-year. The venerable lifestyle and entertainment brand had a whirlwind of a year — going public for a second time, completing three acquisitions, and growing its workforce to more than 1,100 employees, all while dealing with ongoing supply chain issues and other COVID-related challenges. CEO Ben Kohn joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the long pivot away from its legacy print product to digital. "It gives us a truly competitive advantage, especially when you think of this world we live in today with the changes to iOS last year, what you saw happen with Facebook, the lack of performance marketing," he said. "We now have an organic audience in partnership with our creators that we can market other products and services to as well."
Load More