Firefighters on the scene of the explosion in Hinton.
Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beck says an explosion and fire Thursday afternoon at the Central Valley Ag grain elevator was likely the result of grain dust being ignited and the blast was very powerful.
“Significant damage,” is how Chief Beck describes the damage. “It’s got doors blown out, windows blown out.” According to the elevator employees who were there, the fireball was probably 200 yards long when it blew, just one big fireball.”
The two injured workers were transported first to a Sioux City hospital, then airlifted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo says a daycare facility near the grain elevator was evacuated as were two residents from nearby homes.
Officials are concerned about the safety and soundness of the structure of the gain storage silo, after noticing it had shifted while firefighters were on top of the structure. Fire officials are concerned the structure may collapse.
(By Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars)