By Ron Todt
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An elevated section of Interstate 95 collapsed early Sunday in Philadelphia after a vehicle caught fire, closing the main north-south highway on the East Coast and threatening to upend travel in parts of the densely populated Northeast, authorities said.
Transportation officials warned of extensive delays and street closures and urged drivers to avoid the area in the northeast corner of the city. Early reports indicated that the vehicle may have been a tanker truck, but officials could not immediately confirm that. The fire was reported to be under control.
This image provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department shows firefighters standing near the collapsed part of I-95 in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 11, 2023. The elevated section of Interstate 95 has collapsed early Sunday after a vehicle caught fire, closing the main north-south highway on the East Coast and threatening to upend travel in parts of the densely populated Northeast.
(Philadelphia Fire Department via AP)
Video from the scene showed a massive concrete slab had fallen from I-95 onto the road below. There were no reports of injuries.
The northbound lanes of I-95 were gone, and the southbound lanes were “compromised” due to heat from the fire, said Derek Bowmer, battalion chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department. Runoff from the fire or perhaps broken gas lines were causing explosions underground, he added.
This article was originally published by the Associated Press.
