SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com/Reuters) — A Union Pacific train hauling hazardous materials derailed and then caught fire in the city of Sibley, Iowa, authorities said on Sunday, leading to the evacuation of dozens of people although there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.
The train was carrying fertilizers and ammonium nitrate, which is highly explosive. A Sibley resident reported seeing a large fireball and thick smoke shortly after the incident. Several area fire departments are on the scene as well as Sioux City Hazmat teams.
The derailment, involving 47 rail cars, took place in the afternoon in Sibley, Union Pacific said, adding the cause of the incident was under investigation.
Within an hour, local officials texted an evacuation order to people nearby. An area comprising about a 5-mile radius around the scene of the derailment was evacuated as a precaution, according to ABC News.
“There were no injuries to the crew,” Union Pacific said in an emailed statement, adding that Union Pacific was working with first responders at the scene.
“Approximately 80 people were evacuated”, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in an email.
Ken Huls, the fire chief in Sibley, said the train was carrying fertilizer and ammonium, the radio station KIWA reported.
The Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District announced school will be delayed by two hours Monday morning.
Announcements: School will open on late start schedule today. Be prepared to use county roads to enter Sibley from the…
Posted by Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District on Monday, May 17, 2021
(Information from Reuters was used in this report. Julia Kaye, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
