Tanker Truck Carrying 9K Gallons Of Fuel Explodes

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a tanker truck carrying nearly 9,000 gallons of fuel has caught fire on a major highway in southern New Jersey, spewing thick, black smoke into the sky.

The fire broke out shortly after 11 a.m. Monday, when the truck overturned on the Route 90 on-ramp to Route 130 in Pennsauken.

Firefighters began dousing the truck n with foam around noon, and it appeared to be out 10 minutes later, but it then reignited. Firefighters had it mostly under control again by 12:20 p.m.

The smoke could be seen 5 miles away in downtown Philadelphia.

Nearby homes are being evacuated as a precaution, and traffic is being diverted.

Authorities say the driver got out of the vehicle.

It’s not clear what caused the truck to overturn.

Allison Leslie is a University of South Florida graduate with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications. She joined Genesis in 2016. With a passion for sports, Allison has interned with 620 WDAE, Pewter Report, Trifecta Team: St. Petersburg Bowl, Bullscast, and many other publications. Being a native to the Bay Area, she has followed and supported Tampa Bay teams her whole life.