(The following article by Christian Richardson was posted on the Sioux City Journal website on October 15.)
STORM LAKE, Iowa — A train rolled over a 40-pound propane tank, puncturing the full canister early Thursday morning in Storm Lake, Iowa.
The eastbound train and tracks were not damaged and no one suffered injury, said Storm Lake Police Chief Mark Prosser.
Authorities said they believe the stolen tank was placed inside the railroad tracks and are investigating the incident. There are no suspects and police are asking for the public’s help, Prosser said.
At 2:25 a.m. Storm Lake police and fire personnel were dispatched to the railroad crossing at East Third and Hudson streets. There they located the ruptured and crushed tank.
Prosser said the train had hit the tank farther up the tracks and pushed the container forward until it hit the crossing and exploded.
“They clearly … heard a loud noise,” Prosser said. However, “there did not appear to be a fire,” he said.
Firefighters determined that no hazardous materials were present, said the Storm Lake Police Department.
A police investigation determined that someone forcibly entered a Buena Vista County-owned storage bin, took the propane tank and placed it on the railroad track, Prosser said. The storage bin is located north of where the train hit with the tank, authorities said.
Since the break-in the county has taken “the appropriate measures” to secure the storage area, Prosser said.
Based on the time a previous train crossed the tracks, Prosser said he believes the tank was placed there between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 2:25 a.m.
However, it is not known why, he said.
Prosser said authorities have notified the proper authorities including the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Sioux City.
Anyone with information about the incident should call the Storm Lake Police Department at (712) 732-8010.