At least seven people were killed and eight were injured on Thursday when two tractor-trailers and two passenger vehicles collided leading to a massive fire on a highway in Florida’s Gainesville in the United States, reported The New York Times. Around 190 litres of diesel was spilled on the highway in the crash, which intensified the flames. The accident took place near Alachua county.
Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Lieutenant Patrick Riordan told AP it was unclear if the victims were killed in the crash or the subsequent fire. Riordan said their top priority would be to identify the victim.
Alachua County Sheriff’s spokesperson Art Forgey said dispatch records indicated that one of the vehicles involved in the collision was a van with a group of children who were heading to Disney World, reported The Gainesville Sun.
Alacuha County Fire Rescue said the fire had been extinguished by Thursday evening. The highway patrol said both lanes of the highway were closed “due to a large amount of personal property, vehicle parts and burned vehicles still on the roadway.” Emergency crews said the crash was being treated as a homicide investigation, AP reported.
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