Francesville Grain Elevator Incident Ruled Accidental

explosion-1The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office has concluded its investigation into a Monday grain elevator explosion in Francesville.

According to Francesville Deputy Town Marshal Robert Hickman, a failure of the down lag in the north pit of the elevator occurred, leading to the ignition. Ultimately, the state fire marshal’s office ruled the explosion was accidental.

The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. on Monday at the Tate & Lyle facility on Bill Street in Francesville. Firefighters were unable to go inside due to concerns about air quality and structural stability.

Police have now released the names of the two individuals injured in the explosion. 57-year-old Timothy Reidelbach and 67-year-old Glen Tiede were airlifted to area hospitals for additional treatment of burn wounds.

Law enforcement has concluded their investigation into the explosion following the state fire marshal’s conclusion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation that is expected to take months to complete.