Iowa tanker explosion forces evacuations 8 minutes ago

Iowa tanker explosion forces evacuations 8 minutes ago



SIOUX CENTER, Iowa - A tanker truck loaded with flammable liquid exploded in the heart of town, forcing about 2,000 people — nearly a third of the population — to evacuate for several hours.

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Fire Chief David Van Holland said Wednesday that the investigation into the cause of the blast was still under way. The truck's liquid cargo was being transferred to a railroad car Tuesday afternoon when the truck exploded at the Farmers Co-op Society.

The truck's driver remained hospitalized, the fire chief said. He had no details on the extent of the man's injuries.

Authorities ordered an evacuation of residents within a half-mile of the site, just west of the town's business district. No buildings were destroyed, and the evacuation order was lifted shortly before midnight, Van Holland said.

Lenore Prins heard the explosions from her home about a block away around 4:45 p.m.

"First it was one, and then probably three, four, five more," she said. "I looked out the window and there was a lot of black smoke and fire."

When she walked outside to see what had happened, "we could feel the heat," she said.

David Krahling, spokesman for the Sioux Center Fire Department, said the fire was contained to a relatively small area, but the threat of further explosions kept firefighters on high alert much of the night.

Ambulances were seen driving down the streets with their lights flashing, and announcements over loud speakers told people to move farther from the fire. Squad cars blocked off nearby streets, and yellow police tape kept people from entering downtown.

Fire and hazardous materials crews had extinguished the flames by 9 p.m., and authorities said everyone who worked at the co-op had been accounted for.