(The following report appeared on the Chicago Sun-Times website on March 23.)
CHICAGO — Flames of up to 15 feet high shot out of tons of coal after a train in the South Side’s Englewood neighborhood derailed Sunday morning, rupturing an underground gas line.
The freight train derailed at 73rd Street and Bell Avenue about 10:45 a.m., according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford.
Four cars of a freight train carrying coal derailed, resulting in a ruptured underground gas line, which, in turn, ignited the tons of coal, Langford said.
Flames of up to 15 feet high shot from the underground gas line which ignited the coal from the train, Langford said.
The gas company shut down the gas supply, and as of 11:25 a.m. were working on putting out the fire on a few tons of burning coal, Langford said.
There were no injuries, and no evacuations, Langford said.
The train was owned and operated by the CSX Corporation. CSX employees are now on the scene handling the derailment, Langford said.
CSX Corporation own companies providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services, according to the company’s Web site.