A section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collapsed when a tanker truck went up in flames on Sunday, and officials warned drivers to stay clear of the area.
The truck was hauling a petroleum product when the blaze ignited, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Video footage shows the collapse at Academy Road, and ABC 7 reported the fire started underneath the highway overpass:
Authorities said there could be extensive delays and street closures as a result, the AP article said.
“Officials said the tanker may have been hauling hundreds of gallons of gasoline. The fire was reported to be under control,” the outlet noted, adding there were no current reports of anyone being hurt during the incident.
Battalion Chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department Derek Bowmer said the northbound lanes on the interstate are gone while those going southbound were “compromised” from blaze’s heat.
Images show the destroyed portion of the roadway and fire trucks at the scene:
Philadelphia I-95 overpass collapses from tanker blaze https://t.co/tnbG74RuaR pic.twitter.com/UjBnmnCPzy
— New York Post (@nypost) June 11, 2023
Bowmer also noted runoff from the fire or possible broken gas lines resulted in underground explosions.
“Closely monitoring the fire and collapse on I-95 in Pennsylvania. I‘ve been in touch with FHWA and spoke with Gov. Shapiro to offer any assistance that USDOT can provide to help with recovery and reconstruction,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a social media post Sunday morning:
Closely monitoring the fire and collapse on I-95 in Pennsylvania. I‘ve been in touch with FHWA and spoke with Gov. Shapiro to offer any assistance that USDOT can provide to help with recovery and reconstruction.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 11, 2023
Video footage taken from inside a car on the interstate shows smoke billowing out from underneath the roadway.
In the final moments of the clip, the flames reach over the upper level:
‘Highway to Hell’ playing in background. Drivers on Philadelphia’s I 95 N driving through fire as road seems to crackle beneath (listen at end)
TikTok: @ barb_wire #youcantmakethisup AC/DC pic.twitter.com/SZ5KLlnQ6a— PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) June 11, 2023
“Some kind of crash happened on a ramp underneath northbound I-95 around 6:15 a.m. The northbound section above the fire collapsed quickly, state Transportation Department spokesman Brad Rudolph said,” per the AP, which said many drivers ended up using the New Jersey Turnpike rather than get near the fiery scene.
It remained unclear when the highway would be reopened, but officials were reportedly considering different options to remedy the situation.
RELATED VIDEO — Kenosha Police RUN TOWARDS THE FIRE to Rescue 84-Year-Old from Burning Car:
Kenosha Police Department
