Section of I-95 collapses in Philadelphia after fire outbreak
Authorities in the US city of Philadelphia confirmed that a section of I-95, one of the most important and most used roads in the east of the country, collapsed on Sunday after a fire broke out, apparently without causing any casualties. And the footage transmitted local television stations showed a huge cloud of smoke. Lions during the outbreak of fire, in addition to falling part of the road, which includes four lanes on the less used road below it.
The Incident
“This morning, a major fire caused the collapse of I-95,” city spokeswoman Sarah Peterson said in a statement.
Philadelphia Fire Department spokesman Derek Bommer said during a press conference that firefighters “arrived on the scene and found a massive fire raging from a vehicle. We don’t know the type of car.”
According to press reports, the cistern caught fire.
And authorities in the city confirmed the fire was under control, noting that police had closed the highway in both directions.
There have been no reports of casualties yet.
The Impact
Residents told local media they heard several explosions.
Interstate 95 is the main transportation artery on the East Coast of the United States. It stretches for three thousand kilometers and connects the state of Maine in the extreme northeast of the country with Miami, Florida’s largest city, in the southeast.
Philadelphia officials said at a news conference Sunday morning that the highway, whose structure was damaged by the fire, could be closed for several weeks.
Response from Officials
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Twitter that he is offering “full support for recovery assistance.”
The incident has caused major disruptions to the transportation network in the region, and authorities are working to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
