BREAKING NEWS: Petrol tanker catches fire [VIDEO&PHOTOS]

A truck assistant sustained critical injuries, a driver was hospitalised for minor injuries and an additional two drivers escaped uninjured when three trucks collided on the N3 northbound, between the Van Buuren on-ramp and Gillooly’s interchange in Bedfordview on Monday.

According to Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi, a call was received at 16:40 and a rescue team from the local fire station was dispatched to the scene. More resources were sent from Primrose, Edenvale and Boksburg. A fleet of five fire engines and 21 firefighters were at the scene.

“When the first fire engine arrived on [the] scene, a petrol tanker fully loaded with 44 000 litres of jet fuel and petrol was alight. The fire was a result of a crash. A second truck involved was loaded with sand, while the third was empty,” Ntladi said.

“Firefighters temporarily closed all five lanes of the freeway while battling the blaze with a mixture of water and foam. The burning fuel tanker was extinguished and saved with minimal fire damage.”

The scene was handed over to metro police officers who started investigating the matter to determine the cause of the accident.