An eyewitness photo provided to CBC News shows a tractor trailer set on fire on the Trans-Canadian highway near Bishop’s Falls on Wednesday night. (Sent / Name withheld by CBC)
The Trans-Canadian Highway in central Newfoundland is still closed on Thursday morning after two tractor trailers collided near Bishop’s Falls on Wednesday night.
“Obviously there was an explosion,” said Gary Harnum, chief of fire at the Bishop’s Falls Fire Department, who added that firefighters had been called in for the crash just before dark.
Harnum said there was a lot of flame and thick black smoke from the two trucks as they approached the collision.
Although he said it only took firefighters about 10 or 15 minutes to put out the blaze, Harnum described the incident as severe.
“It was probably one of the biggest and biggest fire scenes in a long time,” he said.
He said it was burning fuel and tires, as well as a wooden house on one of the tractor’s trailers, leaving a big mess left on the road to be cleaned.
There is no information about the condition of the drivers or potential passengers involved in the accident.
At around 9.30pm on Wednesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Grand Falls-Windsor told drivers that the motorway was closed in both directions between exits 21 and 22.
The force told CBC News on Thursday morning that traffic was still being diverted through Bishop’s Falls. Harnum asked drivers to slow down as they drove through town.
Harnum said the RCMP is still at the scene of the crash and is trying to make a reconstruction to find out what happened.
The RCMP said it would provide more details about the crash when confirmed.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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