5 Injured as Blast Blows Tops Off Six Grain Silos in Iowa
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BURLINGTON, Iowa — A huge grain elevator on the Mississippi River caught fire and exploded today, blasting the tops off six silos and shattering downtown storefront windows. At least five people were injured, officials said.
A witness said the explosion at the downtown Archer Daniels Midland elevator “was like a 2,000-pound bomb going off” and shattered windows in businesses within a 400-yard radius.
Jerry Ostendorf of the state Office of Disaster Services said the blast may have been caused by grain dust.
Five people were taken to hospitals. Elevator manager Jerome Kersten, the most seriously injured, suffered first- and second-degree burns and possible smoke inhalation, said a spokesman for the Burlington Medical Center.
The top three-fourths of six 10- to 15-story grain silos at the facility were blown off in the 10:40 a.m. explosion, and some other silos were split down the side.
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