- It is the third major accident on the Bruce Highway this week.
A driver has suffered life-threatening injuries after his pickup truck and a lorry carrying ammonium nitrate collided on a notorious stretch of highway in Queensland.
The two vehicles collided at Bororen, 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, on the Bruce Highway shortly after 5am on Friday.
The truck driver suffered injuries to his abdomen, legs, pelvis, head and arm, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.
The truck spilled hazardous material, creating an exclusion zone that extended for a radius of two kilometers around the accident site.
“Residents within the exclusion zone are advised to leave immediately,” Queensland Police said.
‘If you can’t go outside, take shelter indoors, close windows and doors and turn off the air conditioning.’
Residents reported hearing an explosion as the truck pulled up shortly after the initial crash.
The Bruce Highway is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.
Emergency services remain on site fighting the fires affecting both vehicles.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said it would be a “protracted incident” as more than five crews would tackle the blaze and clean up chemicals.
Residents within a 2.5-kilometre exclusion zone have been asked to leave.