A bridge on Interstate 95, one of the main highways in the United States, collapsed this Sunday after a large vehicle caught fire under it, causing thick black smoke and closing that road in both directions.
Local televisions showed images of what happened: a large column of black smoke and a part of the road burned with melted iron and smoked cement due to the intensity of the fire.
I-95 collapse causes huge traffic backups for Philadelphia commuters https://t.co/vQiKdqq63a
—Fox News (@FoxNews) June 11, 2023
The incident occurred near the city of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and, for now, local authorities believe that the collapse has not caused injuries, Derek Bowmer, captain of the Philadelphia fire department, said at a press conference.
According to Bowmer, Philadelphia emergency teams responded to the fire around 6:30 a.m. local time (10:30 a.m. GMT) and quickly realized that the fire was coming from a large burning vehicle that was located under the freeway.
Initially, local media reported that it was a tanker truck, but local authorities did not confirm it.
Bowmer explained that the fire from the vehicle may have hit gas lines that run underground, causing small explosions and fires around the freeway.
Authorities have urged drivers to avoid the road, which will remain closed to traffic for some time.
City agencies are working with our state partners to respond to the partial collapse of I-95 from a vehicle fire.
Please avoid the area and plan for alternative routes of travel.
We will continue to provide updates on this incident. https://t.co/6EU1pqlapc
— Major Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) June 11, 2023
The governor of Pennsylvania, the Democrat Josh Shapiro, said on Twitter that he has been informed of what happened and indicated that he is coordinating with the authorities of the neighboring state of New Jersey and with the federal government to respond to the situation.
The damaged highway, Interstate 95 (I-95), serves as a link between major cities on the US East Coast and is used by millions of Americans every day.
The highway, with a length of 3,096 kilometers, runs from Miami (Florida) to the border between the state of Maine (USA) and the Canadian province of New Brunswick.
With information from Efe and Ap.
