Truckie dies in fuel tanker blast north of Ballina, closing Pacific Highway

[OpticalLight]

UPDATE 3.40pm: TWO people are trapped in their car after a tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel overturned and exploded in NSW, killing the driver.

The crash triggering a blaze that continues to spread and blocking the Pacific Highway near Ballina in northern NSW.

A giant plume of black smoke is rising over the scene, with the highway closed and fire crews establishing a 1km exclusion zone.

The tanker overturned and crashed on the Pacific Highway near Ballina in northern NSW shortly before 2pm.

The fire was so intense, the road has been left partly melted and left just a shell of the B-double tanker.

Police have so far been unable to locate the body or even identify the truck company, according to The Northern Star.

NSW Fire Brigade spokesman Superintendent Ian Krimm said the pair in the trapped car were okay, but could not be rescued until the current was cut to power lines that had fallen on their car as a result of the crash.

It is still not known if anyone else was hurt.

The vehicle was still on fire almost an hour after the incident at Tintenbar, about 10km north of Ballina, near Sandy Flat Road.

At least 100 firefighters with breathing apparatus were at the scene, while four ambulances are waiting to get in.

Supt Krimmer also told the ABC that blazing fuel run-off was heading to a wetlands, with fire crews deployed to fight that fire too.

 

heraldsun

[Torsten]

I'd hate to be a truckie at this time of year. All the crap drivers make it onto the highway the one time of the year that they have to and they have absolutely no idea how stupid and dangerous they are. Even if this accident wasn't directly caused by an oblivious holidayer, I bet the truckie was at the very least exasperated.

I had to drive to the gold coast 2 days ago and avoided 3 near collisions where at least one car [usually the one with the most luggage] was completely oblivious to what was going on around them.

oh yeah, avoid the pacific Hwy between ballina and byron till at least saturday lunchtime.

[rogdog]

That is a shocking section of Hwy around Ballina, bring on the bypass. The new roadworks are a cluster fuck. I was in Lismore for the October rains, and it would have been hard to get any work done on the road during that period. I know Byron copped 300+mm of rain in the first 2 weeks of October.

But I do love Ballina, about the only place in NSW where I can find a good pastie. (thats like a vege pie for all the welshmen who don't understand)

And condolences to the truckie and family, thats a shitty way to leave this life.