n September 23, a cargo train derailed in Iowa, crashing into the flooded Floyd River—but remarkably, no injuries were reported.
A Union Pacific train was traveling from Mankato, Minnesota, to North Platte, Nebraska, when it crashed in Alton, Iowa. It was carrying industrial sand and soybean oil, Union Pacific senior director of corporate communications Raquel Espinoza told the Des Moines Register.
The city of Alton posted on Facebook that there were no injuries from the derailment. Sand from the train spilled into the river, but no known hazardous materials leaked into the river or the air.
In a statement to KIWA Radio, Espinoza explained that the derailment occurred around 4:30 a.m. CDT on Sunday, and about 37 of the 90 train cars derailed. She estimated that 20 cars ended up in the river, but the exact number was yet to be determined.
