Truck carrying propane tanks flips, explodes into fireball on New York City expressway
A truck carrying propane tanks flipped and burst into flames while on a New York City expressway early Tuesday, fire officials said.
The explosion occurred in Queens on the Long Island Expressway around midnight after the tractor trailer overturned when it struck a barrier, New York City Fire Department said.
FNDY didn't say what caused the truck to lose control, but NBC New York and the New York Post reported police officials said the truck likely skidded on black ice. The fire department said in an Instagram post there were approximately 300 20-pound propane tank cylinders on the truck, most of which burned.
The department said crews "arrived on scene and found heavy fire and exploding cylinders flying in the air."
Twenty five fire units and 106 firefighters responded and had the fire under control by 1:30 a.m., FDNY said. According to the department's Instagram post, there was one non-life threatening injury.
Video of the truck ablaze on social media showed massive flames burning on the expressway as cars on the other side slowly drove by.
Here's a video. You can hear the explosion. I can't see clear what kind of car from my side. I am sure people from the building across may have better shot. pic.twitter.com/iCB0BovEzO
— lm (@springdrops) December 22, 2020
The city's emergency management notification system said in a tweet just after midnight Tuesday that all lanes on the expressway heading west were closed. The lanes reopened by 4 a.m.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC truck on Long Island Expressway explodes in Queens
