Train in Iowa Hauling Hazardous Materials Derails and Catches Fire

About 80 people in a city in northwest Iowa were evacuated on Sunday afternoon after part of a Union Pacific train hauling hazardous materials, including fertilizer and asphalt, derailed and then caught fire, officials said.

The fire continued to burn on Monday morning.

The derailment of about 47 cars took place around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday in Sibley, said Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific.

By 3 p.m., local officials had texted an evacuation order to people nearby, citing ‘HAZMAT train derailment and fire.’

There were no reports of injuries or fatalities, said Lucinda Parker, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.