A train derailment in northwest Iowa early Friday morning produced an explosion and massive fire that could been seen from eight miles away. Palo Alto County Sheriff Lynn Schultes says the accident happened near Graettinger just before 1 a.m.
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The tanker cars were carrying ethanol. The Union Pacific train was pulling 101 loaded tanker cars which had recently been filled at an ethanol plant in Superior, Iowa. Railroad officials were able to unhitch most of the tankers and move them from the crash site.
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The engineer and conductor aboard the train escaped unharmed. Residents in four homes nearby were evacuated. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will be working to determine the cause of the derailment.
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