after tanker truck catches fire underneath highway 

A section of northbound I-95 in Philadelphia has collapsed after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the highway, Philadelphia officials said Sunday morning.

At least one vehicle is still trapped under the collapsed highway, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a Sunday afternoon news conference.

The governor said authorities are working to identify any individual or individuals caught in the fire and the collapse, which occurred around 6:20 a.m.

A commercial truck carrying a petroleum-based product is thought to have caused the fire, based on preliminary reports, Shapiro said.

“All hands are on deck to repair this as safely and as efficiently as possible,” the governor said.

The fire is now under control, according to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “We are advising residents to please avoid the area and plan for alternative routes of travel,” he said at the news conference.

“In addition to road closures, we expect delays of trash collection and SEPTA bus routes in the area,” he said.Fire crews remain on site in case the fire restarts, according to the fire department.

Fire officials explained earlier how the collapse took place.“We did have a collapse of 95 on the northbound side, and the southbound side is compromised by heavy fire,” Derek Bowmer, battalion chief for the Philadelphia Fire Department, said during a news conference Sunday morning.

“It looked like we had a lot of heat and heavy fire underneath the underpass.”Firefighters are still battling the blaze, Bowmer said.

Last edited by Spunky (6/11/2023 4:43 pm)