Interstate 95 is one of the busiest routes in the United States. In Philadelphia, one of the freeway bridges has now partially collapsed. A tanker caught fire under the bridge.
A section of one of the busiest freeways in the USA has collapsed in the metropolis of Philadelphia. Television images showed flames and dense smoke over the fallen debris of the four-lane Interstate 95. According to the authorities, no one was injured.
Tanker truck caught fire under the bridge
According to the authorities, the accident was caused by a tanker truck burning under a bridge. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tweeted that the vehicle burning under the bridge was a tanker truck, confirming media reports.
Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters that no one was injured or killed on Interstate 95.
Busy route of the USA
According to local media, the fire broke out around 6:20 a.m. local time on Sunday morning. Traffic is usually light at this time. Interstate 95, which runs in the east of the USA, connects the state of Maine in the northeast with Florida in the southeast and is one of the busiest routes in the USA. After the collapse, it had to be completely closed. In addition to the collapsed four northbound lanes, the southbound lanes were also damaged by the heat of the fire, Fire Chief Derek Bowmer said.
Rebuilding could take many weeks
The authorities advised travelers to drive around the area and to choose “alternative travel routes”. The reconstruction of the destroyed section of the highway could take many weeks – bad news for both commuters and travelers at the beginning of the summer holiday season.
According to local media, both the police and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agency (ATF) launched a manhunt for the driver of the tanker, whose whereabouts were unclear.