COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa – A railroad bridge over the flooded Iowa River has collapsed near Columbus Junction in southeast Iowa, sending a locomotive and the engineer into the water.
The Louisa County sheriff's office received a call about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday from the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad that the bridge had collapsed.
The engineer was rescued and taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.
Officials with the Federal Railroad Administration are enroute.
Spokesman Steve Kulm said Wednesday that the locomotive was pulling four tanker cars off the bridge when the collapse occurred and the locomotive went into the water. He says the cars, which were loaded with water, were 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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