Three CSX freight trains crashed and derailed in Valparaiso, Indiana causing a fire, injuring two workers, and leaving behind a large wreckage. Witnesses stated that liquid was leaking from some tankers on the trains, which was later discovered to be ethanol.
Two of the trains collided when the first train stopped and the second train rear-ended it. The third train, on a parallel track, rolled through the debris and wreckage from the first crash, causing that train to also derail. Two crew members on the second train were treated for non-life-threatening injuries in a local hospital.
The Porter County Emergency Management responder listed diesel fuel on the train as the cause of the fire. The fire raged as thick black smoke and 100 foot flames emanated from the scene. Emergency personnel had a difficult time reaching the fire as it was in an area with no ready access. Residents within one mile of the crash were evacuated from the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of this accident.
