SIBLEY, Iowa — A fiery train derailment in northwest Iowa has sent thick black smoke billowing into the air, prompting authorities to evacuate part of a small, nearby town.
The derailment happened early Sunday afternoon on the southwest edge of Sibley, which is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 200 miles northwest of Des Moines.
Photos and video of the derailment posted online show about 30 train cars piled up along the tracks with flames and a large plume of smoke coming from one end of the pile of cars.
Local media reports say authorities evacuated an area within 5 miles of the derailment. Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls told KIWA radio the train was hauling fertilizer and ammonium nitrate.
