1 dead after overturned tanker truck explodes on highway

CNN
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One person has died after an overturned tank truck carrying flammable liquids exploded on a highway in Frederick, Maryland on Saturday, causing damage to nearby homes and vehicles as city officials advised residents to avoid the area.

According to Ron Snyder, public information officer for Maryland State Police (MDSP).

After several hours, the fire was extinguished and the hazardous materials, which were in the gasoline and diesel fuel line, were contained, Frederick County Fire and Rescue Chief Tom Coe said. at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. The hazardous materials did not reach nearby Carroll Creek, which empties into the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Coe added.

Officials were working with the truck owner to identify the liquids inside the tank truck, Coe said.

The driver of the truck, whose identity has not yet been released, died in the crash, Snyder confirmed to CNN by phone. No other injuries or deaths have been reported in connection with the crash or fire, Coe said.

The blast came a month after a freight train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in eastern Palestine, Ohio, triggering a one-day inferno, spewing toxic fumes into the air and killing thousands of fish.

At Saturday’s press conference, Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor acknowledged that many residents were concerned about the circumstances of the accident in light of the wreckage of the toxic Ohio train, which happened on February 3.

The mayor said none of the hazardous material from the tanker truck entered the city’s sewer system, but officials will continue to work with state investigators to ensure it does not. there are no lasting effects.

“We will continue to monitor the environmental effects of this incident in the days and weeks to come,” O’Connor said.

The freeway’s southbound lanes reopened around 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, while northbound lanes will remain closed for several hours while officials investigate the crash, authorities said.

Six homes and five vehicles were damaged by the blaze, state police said in a news release.

The fire spread to a nearby house that is now uninhabitable, Coe said. Two nearby houses were also slightly damaged by the heat of the fire, as well as three cars, the chief added.

“I’m just grateful that this sounds like a fairly common type of accident that could happen on any freeway anywhere in America and it’s nothing more difficult than that,” the mayor said. Earlier, O’Connor in a Facebook post urged residents to avoid the area.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CNN he was in contact with Frederick officials and agencies responding to the scene.

“My heart goes out to those affected by this tragedy in Frederick,” Moore said. “…We continue to monitor the situation closely.”

The state fire marshal and Department of Environment have been notified and are responding to the accident, MDSP said.

“We are providing all available resources to assist with this incident. We will continue to support DFRS as they lead incident control and cleanup. I implore all residents to avoid the area to allow DFRS to do their job and prevent any fires from spreading,” the mayor said in the Facebook post.