CHICAGO, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Some residents were being evacuated early Friday from their homes in U.S. Iowa State after a tanker train derailed amid flooding, leaking crude oil to a nearby river.
Local authorities said the train derailed just south of Doon, Lyon County in northwestern Iowa, between 0500 and 0530 local time.
A total of 35 tanker rail cars carrying oil have left the tracks, reported Radio Iowa, and some of the derailed tankers have been leaking.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for residents affected by the leakage, according to local sherrif's office.
Heavy rainfalls have hit the U.S. Midwest this week. Two people died in northwestern Wisconsin amid flash floods, another man died in Indiana in flooding-related accidents.
The rain and flooding forced Chicago to temporarily suspend one of its metro lines during rush hours on Friday morning.
Dozens of sinkholes have been reported in Michigan as a result of the downpours.
U.S. forecasters say flash flooding, severe storms are expected from the Midwest, Southern Plains into the East through the weekend.