Washington, Jan 8 (IANS): Two crew members were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries after three freight trains collided and caught fire in the US state of Indiana Friday, Xinhua reported quoting a media report.

The three freight trains crashed Friday afternoon in Indiana's Porter county, the Chicago Tribune quoted the county's spokesperson as saying, and adding that the accident involved a collision, derailment, fire and chemical spill.

According to county Sheriff department's official Larry LaFlower, a westbound train comprising two engines and 77 cars, carrying empty ethanol tankers, had stopped on a rail line but was rear-ended by another westbound train with two engines and 60 cars.

"Cars from the first train derailed and the engines and some cars of the second train also derailed," the official said.

A third train travelling in an unidentified direction but on a parallel track struck the debris and wreckage from the initial crash and also derailed, causing fire, he added.

The third train had three engines and 48 cars.