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
Need2Know: Fauci's Warning, Coin Shortage & 'Curb' Coming Back
The no-good-very-bad year of 2020 is officially more than half over, though Dr. Fauci has a warning about where we're headed as we head into the peak of summer. Plus, some election results, the latest decision from the Supreme Court, and the national coin shortage. We lose Jill to some technical difficulties, but Carlo takes us home.
Need2Know: 50K Daily Cases, CHOP Disbanded & Happy B-Day, America
Ahead of a long weekend, Jill and Carlo reflect on what it means to celebrate Independence Day in this strange year. Plus, more states roll back their reopenings as we hit 50K cases a day. Also, why 'Mad Men' won't remove a controversial episode, and Love, Hate, Ate - holiday edition.
Load More