"@rbalch1" (rbalch1)
10/01/2013 at 09:37 • Filed to: None
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"@rbalch1" (rbalch1)
10/01/2013 at 09:37 • Filed to: None | 0
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At least two people killed and others badly injured after tanker truck rolled and exploded in Mona Vale
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Updated 1 hour 11 minutes ago
VIDEO: Two people dead after fuel tanker explosion (ABC News)
Two people were killed and five others injured after a fuel tanker crashed into several cars at Mona Vale in Sydney's north on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency crews remained at the scene late into the night cleaning up petrol from the road and surrounding bushland.
Witnesses say there were multiple explosions after the tanker, carrying 18,000 litres of fuel, rolled on its side, burst into flames and collided with several cars on Mona Vale Road at about 3:40pm (AEST).
Police say the fuel tanker caught alight as a result of the multi-vehicle collision, and the fire spread to several cars.
Five people were injured in the crash and subsequent explosions and fire, including the truck's driver.
PHOTO: Firefighters hose down the tanker. (ABC News)
A number of buildings near the site at the intersection of Samuel Street were evacuated as a precaution.
Mona Vale Road was closed near the crash site and motorists have been urged to avoid the area.
One witness told ABC Radio it appeared the incident happened as the truck drove through a roundabout.
Michael saw the incident unfold and says the tanker clipped a car as it tipped over.
"When I looked in the rearview mirror he was coming at me sort of on his side and I saw a silver car heading in the opposite direction get hit be the tanker at the tail end," he said.
He said he had to take evasive action as the tanker careened towards him.
"I just put my foot down. I saw it sliding towards me," Michael told 702 ABC Sydney.
"I think he hasn't made it through the roundabout, and he's tried to correct the truck and flipped over.
"It caught fire as soon as it hit the ground... The whole truck was engulfed in probably two or three minutes."
'It felt like my skin was burning'
Motorist Tom Raymen turned into Mona Vale Road as the incident happened.
"As I turned out and started driving the truck flipped in front of us coming the opposite way," he said.
"It went up in flames straight away. One car went straight into the flames. A van behind that went up onto the hill. There was a lady in a BMW who went onto the side of the road.
"There was one car that went straight into the flames, so I'm unsure but assuming they're the ones that passed away.
"I got out and I felt like my skin was burning. It was like a really bad sunburn almost.
"I looked back and saw that the truck driver was just getting out of his windscreen.
"I thought he was gone because the whole thing was on fire... so I ran over to make sure he was going to get away from it."
"There was not much else you could do. It was just that hot and I knew there was another car in there and you could hear people screaming further down, saying 'Get out! Get out! Run!' and you just honestly couldn't do much about it."
PHOTO: Flames and smoke billow from the tanker. (ABC News)
Flames were up to 30m high
Fire Commissioner Greg Mullins says crews arrived to find the tanker leaking fuel and engulfed in flames up to 30 metres high.
He added that firefighters feared a Blackmore's factory nearby was on fire.
"Firefighters actually feared that building was on fire, so 200 people were quickly evacuated from there," he said.
"Burning petrol was flowing down the road. It could have set fire to buildings, other cars - it was going into drains.
"It's now a major hazardous materials problem because that petrol and the foam used to put out the fire is flowing via the drains and creeks down the Pittwater so we're going to have a lot of hazardous materials teams working all through the night."
Witness Michael says the crash site has a reputation as a dangerous section of road.
"Mona Vale (Road) is notorious for big trucks coming down a bit too quick and it's a big steep hill coming down past the cemetery and then you hit a roundabout," he told ABC Radio.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/at-least-…