One Dead After Fuel Tanker Explosion on Connecticut I-95 Bridge

A large explosion shut down portion of Interstate 95 on Friday right after a gas tanker crashed on a important bridge in Connecticut, sending a column of smoke and fire into the air and killing 1 individual, point out officials reported.

A passenger vehicle’s blown-out tire set off a chain response that resulted in the explosion, which also hurt at the very least two some others on the bridge, melted part of the bridge’s outer guard rail and spewed a large amount of money of property heating oil into the waters of the Thames River, regional officers mentioned.

Sgt. Christine Jeltema, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Point out Law enforcement, reported the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 “will be shut for rather some time” as officials establish no matter if the bridge, the Gold Star Memorial, is harmless to cross.

“The powerful, wicked heat could probably compromise the steel, but we hope that is not the case,” explained Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, at a news conference on Friday. He stated it was not crystal clear how a great deal fuel the truck was carrying at the time of the crash, but that its most capability was 2,800 gallons.

The bridge, which connects the coastal metropolitan areas of Groton and New London, is a main transportation connection in Japanese Connecticut in close proximity to the state’s border with Rhode Island.

The cities it connects are home to many universities as perfectly as a important armed forces presence, like the United States Coastline Guard Academy and Naval Submarine Foundation New London, the major naval hub for attack submarines on the East Coast.

An approximated 60,000 cars use the bridge every single day, Garrett T. Eucalitto, the commissioner of the Connecticut Section of Transportation, mentioned at the news conference. A office spokesman stated later that an inspection experienced found no damage to the steel, and that the bridge would reopen to car or truck website traffic.

Trooper 1st Course Pedro Muniz of the Connecticut Point out Police stated that accidents had been noted soon after the 11:30 a.m. accident but it was unclear how many or how significant they ended up. He said that officials have been inquiring individuals to prevent the spot.

Mayor Michael Passero of New London said in a textual content information to The New York Times that the driver of the oil truck died at the scene, and afterwards extra that two other folks had been taken to a close by hospital with accidents sustained in the explosion.

Structures under the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, a pair of metal-truss bridges on the Thames River, had been also on fireplace, the Connecticut Point out Law enforcement mentioned on Twitter.

Several agencies, including the Coastline Guard, responded to the blast. Officials closed the highway amongst exits 86 and 88, Trooper Muniz explained, and the bridge was shut in each directions for part of the working day.

Amtrak reported one delay alongside the Northeast corridor, which has tracks in the vicinity of the accident, but support resumed in just 30 minutes, in accordance to Jen Flanagan, a spokeswoman.

Deadly incidents involving tanker trucks are not unusual in the United States. Collisions with huge vans killed 5,759 individuals in 2021, out of a complete of about 40,000 deadly crashes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the newest 12 months for which data is readily available. That was an raise from 4,870 persons killed in these kinds of crashes in 2020, it claimed.

Johnny Diaz, Asmaa Elkeurti and Alicia Napierkowski contributed reporting.