Breaking News - I95 closure due to explosion

[GalvestonDuck]

From CrisisAlertNet:

News and radio reporting that a tractor trailer has caugt fire and exploded south of Baltimore near BWI airport. I95 traffic being detoured to avoid accident. More to follow.

Edit -- here's more:

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-t ... -headlines

Tanker on fire after I-95 crash
Highway closed in both directions at I-195; Multiple vehicles involved; At least two deaths feared
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From staff and wire reports
Originally published January 13, 2004, 3:57 PM EST

Motorists are urged to avoid Interstate 95 in Howard County near the Baltimore County line after a fiery accident involving a propane tanker truck and several other vehicles around 3 p.m. this afternoon.

According to Maryland State Police, the tanker truck was merging from Interstate 895 onto I-95 at the Howard County line when it fell onto two tanker trucks and two cars and exploded.

Police said they were not sure of the extent of injuries, but it was feared there were at least two deaths. Officials were also unsure of what materials were being hauled in the tanker truck that fell. Capt. William Smith, a spokesman for Howard County emergency management, said the tanker was likely carrying a petroleum-based product because of the dark, black color of the smoke.

Police said firefighters were busy trying to extinguish the blaze, which engulfed several vehicles and spread into woods and a field next to the highway.

A separate tanker truck could be seen on television spraying foam over the blackened highway. Traffic was stopped in both directions at Interstate 195 and was backed up for miles.

The State Highway Administration said highway crews were working on setting up a detour.

Television pictures showed charred and twisted metal wheels and an axle that appeared to be the wheels of a tractor-trailer. A white sedan apparently damaged in the collision could be seen in a live broadcast from a WJZ-TV helicopter.

Flames could be seen as far as Baltimore-Washington International Airport, said spokeswoman Cheryl Stewart. No flights were diverted as a result of the accident, she said.

[stormraiser]

PHew!!!! Getting a little close to family, but I think everyone's alright. It's too far North

[Rainband]

Very Sad!!!

[WXBUFFJIM]

Let's clarify this info. The tanker truck was travelling not on southbound I 895, but northbound I 95. A tractor trailer is what skidded off I 895 skyramp into northbound I 95. Both trucks exploded on impact on northbound I 95. Several other cars exploded with that also. 2 people are confirmed dead. The fatality count will increase most likely because we have more than 2 vehicles involved in this explosion.

The fire is mostly out, except a few hotspots with the tractor trailers and the tanker truck. The investigation will last all night long and I 95 maybe shut down for many days. I 895 overpass will be shut until inspectors determine if that bridge is safe to cross because that bridge was burned with the explosion. The road below that, northbound I 95 maybe damaged to the point where it needs to be repaved. This will be a very long process to reopen this interstate and it may take days to reopen anything nearby.

Northbound I 95 traffic is being rerouted at route 100. Southbound I 95 is being rerouted at the beltway I believe. The situation is definitely sad and unfortunately traffic is affected severely in the Baltimore/Washington area.

More updates later on this.

Jim

[GalvestonDuck]

This reminds me of the sad event when the bridge collapsed on I-40 in Oklahoma.

[weatherlover427]

This sounds like a very massive accident. I hope no one else dies and that they get the freeway reopened ASAP.

[StormCrazyIowan]

This is just awful!!

[WXBUFFJIM]

If there is such a thing as a advantage to an accident. The accident was located relatively close to BWI. Thus their foam trucks came sooner and put out the explosive fire on the vehicles. There was a brush fire also off of I 95 and I 895.

Just the quick actions from BWI Airport, the police, fire units., Baltimore, and Howard Counties made this from getting worse. There were homes off I 895 and they could have burned if this brush fire spreaded past I 895. But quick thinking prevented that. So as sad as this horrific accident was, (4 dead by the way), it could have been worse if it wasn't for the quick thinking as I was mentioning.

The quick action maybe good for morning commuters, especially southbound on I 95 where 2 lanes are opened to limited southbound traffic. Northbound remains shut for the time being. Northbound I 95 at I 895 has an outside chance of reopening in the morning. But it's a very close call.

Jim