A male driver suffered life-threatening injuries after his pickup truck and a truck carrying ammonium nitrate collided on a notorious stretch of highway in Queensland.
The two vehicles collided at around 5am on Friday on the Bruce Highway near Bororen, 400km north of Brisbane.
The male truck driver suffered injuries to his abdomen, legs, pelvis, head and arms, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.
The truck leaked hazardous material, creating a two-kilometer radius exclusion zone around the crash site.
“Residents within the exclusion zone are advised to leave immediately,” Queensland Police said.
‘If you can’t get away, take cover indoors, close your windows and doors, and turn off the air conditioning.’
Local residents reported hearing an explosion shortly after the crash as the truck flew upwards.
The Bruce Highway is expected to be closed all day and even overnight.
Emergency services are still on the scene battling fires in both vehicles.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said it was a “prolonged incident” as more than five fire departments battled the fire and cleared away the chemicals.