A dramatic video captured by a driver passing over a Philadelphia Interstate shows a section of the highway engulfed in flames after a tanker exploded just moments before the road collapsed.
Part of the I-95 in Philadelphia gave way on Sunday, June 11, with officials warning it could take months to repair. Footage shared on Twitter shows drivers cautiously making their way through the smoke as the fire rages on, with some passing through just moments before the interstate collapsed.
One Twitter user shared footage of his wife's commute to work along I-95. As she drives through the smoke she can be heard saying: "Oh my god, the road's falling."
Others captured the scene from the ground, where the fire was raging. Motorists driving past saw huge plumes of black smoke, and as they approached the true scale of the fire could be seen.
The entire roadway appeared to be engulfed in flames, with a wall of orange flames crackling loudly.
Authorities believe the tanker was carrying hundreds of gallons of petrol when it crashed and exploded at around 6:15am on a ramp underneath the northbound carriageway of the I-95.
Southbound lanes were also heavily damaged and later closed as the blaze made it structurally unsound. At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said it would take "some number of months" to fully rebuild the road.
Retired Philadelphia police sergeant Mark Fusetti said he was driving south toward the airport when he noticed thick smoke rising over the highway.
He said the road began to "dip" as he passed the fire, creating a noticeable depression. When he looked in his rearview mirror he saw traffic behind him come to a halt.
Soon after the lanes of the northbound carriageway disintegrated. "It was crazy timing," explained Fusetti.
"For it to buckle and collapse that quickly, it's pretty remarkable."
Around 160,000 vehicles pass along the I-95 daily. Governor Shapiro had taken a flight over the impacted area to see the damage firsthand.
He said it showed "just remarkable devastation."
"I found myself thanking the Lord that no motorists who were on I-95 were injured or died," he said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said that there are no known fatalities, but warned the situation is still "fluid."
Governor Shapiro was set to sign a disaster declaration on Monday, June 12, which would free up federal funds along with other help. He said he had been assured by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg there would be "absolutely no delay" in getting the funds to quickly rebuild what has been described as a "critical roadway."
With the rebuild set to take several months, officials are looking at "interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area."
The elevated section of the I-95 which collapsed was part of a reconstruction project which cost $212 million, and was completed just four years ago.
.Now, the northbound I-95 has been left with a gaping hole, with thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete falling onto the site of the fire. Governor Shapiro also noted that there was a "very light sheen" which could been seen in the Delaware River near the site of the fire, indicating some of the contents of the tanker may have spilled into it.
Booms were put in place quickly to contain the spread of any contaminants. Governor Shapiro reassured: "There is no threat to anyone's drinking water."
