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NTSB: Fire at Iowa train derailment still burning Saturday

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March 11th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

GRAETTINGER, Iowa (AP) — An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board says an ethanol-fueled fire in northwestern Iowa at the site of rural train derailment is still burning nearly 36 hours after it erupted.

Peter Knudson with the NTSB says that two tankers carrying ethanol were still burning midmorning Saturday, keeping investigators away from the site. Knudson said investigators still planned to interview train crew members Saturday and perform other limited investigation until they can take a look at the site.

The derailment occurred around 1 a.m. Friday near Graettinger, about 160 miles northwest of Des Moines. It sent 27 tanker cars, each carrying 25,000 gallons of ethanol, off the tracks. Two crew members escaped unharmed, and no other injuries had been reported.

The train was operated by Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad.