UPDATE:
Click here for Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Drone Footage on Facebook
Hull/Doon, Iowa — We now have a statement from the railroad about the derailment that occurred Wednesday night in northwest Iowa — and they tell us there was nothing hazardous on board.
According to BNSF spokesperson Andy Williams, 26 cars of an 83-car northbound mixed freight train derailed just after 8:00 p.m. He says that 24 cars are on their sides. Williams tells us it was a mixed freight train with 31 loaded and 52 empty.
He says that of the derailed cars, one car contained denatured alcohol and had a minor leak at a valve. But he says there was no risk to the public or BNSF crews. Williams tells us other derailed cars were empty or contained non-hazardous materials.
He says there were no injuries, and the cause is under investigation at this time.
According to Williams, at last report crews were arriving on the scene and are developing plans to remove the cars. He says traffic is expected to resume on the rail line early tomorrow morning.
Sioux County Sheriff’s Captain Jamie Van Voorst says the car carrying the denatured alcohol did have a very slow leak, but it was being contained as of early Thursday morning.
He says it’s too early to know the cause of the derailment and he urges people to stay away from the area as crews work to complete the investigation. Last June, a train derailed on that same track just a few miles away.
Photo by Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Drone
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Posted 2:43 am August 1, 2019
Hull/Doon, Iowa — A train derailment was reported on Wednesday evening on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe track between Doon and Hull, one mile west of Highway 75.
According to the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, about 8:30 p.m., they received reports of a train derailment that occurred on the BNSF Railway, five miles northwest of Hull, between Garfield and Goldfinch Avenues on 280th Street. That’s about two and a third miles southeast of Doon.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says that upon further investigation, responding personnel discovered that approximately 25 cars of the 83-car train derailed. The train cars consisted of refrigerated, tank, freight and rock cars. They say that at last report, the specific contents of the derailed cars was unknown and was being assessed.
No injuries were reported.
The Hull Fire Department, Hull Ambulance, Rock Valley Fire Department, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and Lyon County Sheriff’s Office responded to the derailment location. Sioux County Emergency Management was unavailable at the time and Lyon County Emergency Management assisted in its absence.
Updates will be made available as the investigation continues.
