(The Associated Press circulated the following story on July 31.)
DES MOINES, Iowa — A train derailment on the city’s east side Thursday night led to a brief evacuation of a neighborhood after residents reported a hissing sound coming from the cars.
No injuries were reported when seven cars of the Union Pacific train went off the tracks before 7 p.m.
Five cars were empty, while two were tankers containing corn syrup, railroad spokesman Mark Davis said.
Steve Bowers was visiting relatives in the neighborhood when he saw the train derail from the family’s front porch.
Residents called police and fire officials after first hearing the hissing sound.
“The hissing was what worried me,” said Luke Martin, 20. “I thought it was the air compressor at first, but it kept going.”
No spills occurred, but residents were evacuated for about an hour while officials investigated the hissing.
They determined it resulted from air lines that connected the cars, said Capt. Todd Francisco, acting district fire chief.
The train was bound for Kansas City, Mo., from Wisconsin. The cause of the derailment was under investigation.