Hundreds of homes lost power Thursday after an 80-car CSX train derailed in Fountaintown, about 25 miles east of downtown Indianapolis in Shelby County.
The Indianapolis Fire Department and other agencies responded to reports of a derailed train and a possible hazardous leak shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release. It was later determined the leaked substance was used cooking oil and plastic pellets.
No one was injured in the derailment, which happened near Division Road. The track and runs parallel with U.S. 52. Ten nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution and nearly 450 homes and businesses lost power. Power is expected to be restored between 2:30 p.m. and midnight.
Photos provided by IFD show a zig-zag of derailed and crunched cars scattered around the tracks. Officials said the first train car was pushed 100 yards to the west and 20 feet off the track before landing on its side. Thirteen total cars derailed and all sustained "catastrophic" damage. The impact displaced a 60-foot section of heavy timber railroad ties.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation, with one possible cause being a failure of the wheels on the front car and another being a flaw in the track itself.
CSX plans to disentangle the cars and hopes to have the rail repaired and in service within 24 to 48 hours. Surrounding road closures could be in place up to 24 hours and include: SR 9, US 52, Railroad Street and Division Road.
Other responding agencies included Shelbyville Fire Department, the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
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