Illinois town evacuated after train derailment, explosion

Illinois town evacuated after train derailment, explosion

2011-10-08 15:35:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

CHICAGO (BNO NEWS) -- The town of Tiskilwa in northern Illinois was evacuated on early Friday morning after a freight train derailed and several tankers containing ethanol exploded. There were no reports of injuries.

Twenty-six cars of the 131-car train derailed at around 2 a.m. local time, including seven to nine cars loaded with ethanol, according to Mick Burkart, chief operating officer of Iowa Interstate Railroad. He said that investigators have been unable to determine the cause of the accident since they have been unable to get close enough to the train, the Chicago Tribune reported.

As of 9.30 a.m. local time on Friday, the fire was under control but still burning in the town of 800 people located some 115 miles (185 kilometers) west of Chicago. "It's under control, there are no casualties and it didn't cause any structural damage," said Les Grant of the Bureau County Emergency Services and Disaster Administration, according to the report.

Grant said the evacuation of Tiskilwa was voluntary but most evacuated, although several people decided to stay behind. Most residents went to stay with friends or relatives out of town or went to work.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was dispatching a six-person team to investigate the accident. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also sent a representative to the scene to evaluate the situation, the newspaper reported.

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