A serious crash involving multiple semi-trailers shuts part of Australia’s Hume Highway in New South Wales near Breadalbane, according to police and media reports. The incident occurs shortly after 5am Tuesday, when two trucks appear to collide as they enter a roadside rest stop. One truck then crashes into multiple other rigs at the stop, and the subsequent fire spreads quickly.
Reports say at least six trucks are destroyed or engulfed in flames. Police describe the situation as extraordinary, noting that most drivers escape without serious injury. Several of the trucks are reportedly carrying flammable or combustible goods, including eight tonnes of butane in canisters, as well as alcohol and other materials such as resin and memory foam. Fire crews respond to multiple small explosions attributed to the butane and the intensity of the fire.
While accounts differ on the exact number of injured people and whether a driver remains unaccounted for, all sources describe an explosive fire after the crash and a major traffic disruption on the highway.
