Officials say the truck driver involved in a massive tanker truck fire has still not been found after the blaze downed a large section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia on Sunday morning.
The Sunday morning fire happened at around 6 a.m. on June 11th beneath the I-95 overpass near the Cottman Avenue exit in the Tacony section of Philadelphia.
According to 6 ABC, the tanker truck was hauling 8,500 gallons of 87-octane fuel and caught fire beneath the overpass after exiting the highway. The cause of the fire is still not clear, but the blaze became so intense that it compromised the structural integrity of the overpass and led to the collapse of the northbound lanes. Small explosions also occurred in the area, along with fire coming out of nearby manholes.
No motorists were injured in the collapse, but the truck driver is yet to be found, reported CNN. The tanker truck is still trapped beneath the rubble from the highway collapse. The truck driver involved was reportedly an experienced driver, but their identity has not been released.
The destroyed portion of the highway is “likely the busiest interstate in the commonwealth,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, and repairs are expected to take “some number of months,” according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia police, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have offered the following detour options around the I-95 collapse:
I-95 Southbound:
- Route 63 West (Woodhaven Road), U.S. 1 South, 76 East, 676 East
I-95 Northbound:
- I-676 West, I-76 West, U.S. 1 North to Route 63 East (Woodhaven Road)
