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.
New York is joining California in seriously altering daily operations after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he will sign an executive order mandating that 100 percent of the non-essential workforce stay home. The order will go into effect Sunday night.
As a producer at Cheddar, Brian Henry feels incredibly lucky to be working at a company where working from home is an option amid the coronavirus outbreak. That said, it’s an adjustment. Here are the songs that are getting him through it.
Working from home can be a challenge, especially when you are a working parent but that is the new normal for some as the coronavirus continues to spread. Cheddar anchor Jill Wagner has been working from home accompanied by her toddler.
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on Thursday warned young people that they are not immune to the worse consequences of the coronavirus outbreak.
The demographics of U.S. victims reflect adults most at risk — those who have died from COVID-19 range in age from their 50s to their 90s, and the overwhelming majority suffered from pre-existing conditions like diabetes, emphysema, and heart problems.
In the morning conference, the governor also waived mortgage payments for 90 days and revealed the spike in new cases bringing the full total to 4,152, the most in the nation.
With Spain in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Marta Martínez Fernandez is chronicling her experience in 15 days and a podcast.
The palace of Monaco says its head of state, Prince Albert II, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a statement Thursday, the palace of the tiny Mediterranean principality said that his health is not worrying.
President Trump outlined a plan to alleviate interest on student loans held by federal agencies, but the details on how people can access the economic relief during the COVID-19 outbreak remains elusive.
From MLB ponying up for their workers to swans returning to Venetian canals
