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Railroad Bridge Collapses in SE Iowa

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Jun 25, 2008 at 10:22 AM CST

Story Updated: Jun 25, 2008 at 5:07 PM CST

DES MOINES (AP) - An investigation is under way in to the collapse of a railroad bridge over the flooded Iowa River near Columbus Junction in southeast Iowa.

The collapse sent the engineer, a locomotive and two rail cars into the river.

The Louisa County sheriff's office received a call late Tuesday night from the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad that the bridge had collapsed.

IC&E spokesman Herb Jones says that three employees were working on moving the train at the time of the accident. One of the three was taken to the hospital with "non-life threatening injuries."

Officials with the Federal Railroad Administration are en route to the scene.

Spokesman Steve Kulm says the locomotive was pulling four tanker cars off the bridge when the collapse occurred. He says the cars, which were loaded with water, were parked on the bridge to give it added weight during the flooding.

Kulm did not know if flooding was a factor in the collapse, but says that will be part of the investigation.

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