A tanker truck carrying petroleum crude oil rolled over and caught fire between the northeast B.C. community of Dawson Creek and the Alberta border Saturday afternoon.
DriveBC first reported the crash on the Pouce Coupe River bridge on Highway 49 around 7:30 a.m.
The bridge sits five kilometres east of Dawson Creek.
The Dawson Creek Fire Department, RCMP and a B.C. environmental emergency response officer attended the scene and found the truck fully engulfed.
READ MORE: 50,000 litres of fuel leaked out of crashed tanker truck into Salmo River: Environment Ministry
The driver of the truck was taken to hospital in unknown condition.
The truck and trailer were fully destroyed by the fire.
Oil has been observed on the bridge and a sheen was found on the river below the crash site.
Emergency Management B.C. says the truck was carrying 40,000 litres of oil, but most of it is believed to have burned in the fire.
The highway has been shut down in both directions around the bridge and remained closed into Saturday evening. It’s not yet known when the road will reopen.
It’s not yet known what caused the crash.
The truck is being removed from the bridge and cleanup operations are underway.
Emergency Management B.C. says it will release more information as it becomes available.
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