ALBERT CITY, IOWA, US — A grain dust incident occurred on Aug. 25 at Ag Partners’ Royal, Iowa, US, location causing damage to the grain storage facility. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the incident is yet unknown.

Local news outlets reported the explosion left a large hole in the concrete storage silo.

“Ag Partners is very appreciative of the first responders, firemen, sheriff department and other agencies that helped extinguish the fire,” the company said. “We also want to thank the citizens of Royal for their support and understanding.”

Chris Raveling, Clay County Sheriff, told KCAU the explosion shook nearby homes, the area was evacuated for safety until the all-clear was given. He also said the silos usually store corn and soybeans but were mostly empty at the time of the blast.

According to Sosland Publishing’s 2020 Grain & Milling Annual, Ag Partner’s total licensed storage capacity is 55,200,000 bushels.

Alceco, an Iowa cooperative, recently acquired full ownership of Ag Partners from Cargill. Ag Partners provides products, services and market access in the areas of grain, agronomy, feed and petroleum. The company’s locations include retail and wholesale agronomy outlets, grain/petroleum facilities and feed mills throughout Iowa.