Bridge failure a possible cause in Houston County train derailment

A train derailment in southeastern Minnesota near Reno could be related to the failure of a wooden railroad bridge.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville says it's not clear if the privately owned bridge collapsed under the train, or if derailed cars took it out.

The derailed train is owned by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad, but it's also unclear if that railroad also owns the bridge.

An IC&E spokesman says 27 cars derailed Tuesday morning. There were no injuries. The company says the cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The derailment caused an ethanol spill on Highway 26 near Reno, which is near the Iowa border. The highway is expected to stay closed until at least Wednesday afternoon.

The ethanol spill did not result in any evacuations.

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