Massive fireball explosion after seven-lorry pile-up on busy highway in Australia

A driver remains missing and six individuals have sustained injuries following a seven-lorry pile-up which resulted in a substantial explosion. Two lorries collided on the Hume Highway in Australia, near a town called Breadalbane in New South Wales [NSW], just after 5am local time on Tuesday, June 30.

Those two HGVs subsequently crashed into five others at a roadside rest stop, sparking the enormous explosion. The cargo of each lorry created the ideal conditions for a major blast and ensuing fire, with a NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman confirming one of the trucks was carrying ‘eight tonnes of butane cans’ – 40 firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze.

“Another was transporting resin, a third contained memory foam, and a fourth was packed with alcohol, fuelling the resulting fire and explosions,” the spokesman said.

NSW Ambulance verified that six people received treatment at the scene for minor injuries, one person remained unaccounted for, and two of the drivers were transported to the nearby Goulburn Hospital for mandatory testing.

Rural Fire Service Southern Tablelands Superintendent Krystaal Hinds stated more than a dozen fire trucks had been summoned from the surrounding regions to attend the scene, where they encountered multiple HGVs ablaze in the parking bay of a ‘road train’ rest stop.

“Local crews were here within 20 minutes from the time of call, so quite quick [due to remoteness of the crash], and we’ve had multiple crews arriving throughout the entire morning,” Superintendent Hinds said.

The Hume Highway — the major route connecting Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne — remains closed and will continue to be so for “a while longer yet” as fire-fighting and recovery operations are ongoing.

Consequently, the Hume Highway is shut in both directions between Gunning and Cullerin Road in Breadalbane.

Transport for NSW spokesman John Pearson confirmed to the ABC that, at around 11am, the blaze had been extinguished and the smoke was “all but gone”.

“A number of trucks are parked up, heading north, so if you’re expecting any trucks heading towards Goulburn, they’re going to still be some time,” he said.

A crime scene has been established and the Crash Investigation Unit is now on site, with the process expected to take considerable time.

Pearson said: “All I can say is, still allow plenty of extra travel time.”

Local motorists are being urged to avoid the area altogether. Drivers should also factor in upwards of an hour of additional travel time owing to diversions now in place, redirecting traffic through the Australian capital city of Canberra via the Federal and Barton highways.