On September 26, a tanker truck was rear-ended on the Shanhaiguan section of the Beijing-Harbin Expressway in China, causing a fuel leak and multiple fires on the scene, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.
A resident of Qinhuangdao City in Hebei Province posted a video on September 26, stating that a notification was issued in her community advising residents not to open windows due to a traffic accident on the nearby Beijing-Harbin Expressway, where multiple fires had broken out, engulfing the area in dense black smoke.
The video footage shows a heavy semi-trailer truck colliding with a hazardous goods transport vehicle carrying a fuel tank. Due to the tank’s rupture, a large amount of liquid spilled onto the expressway.
The individual recording the video initially thought it was a water tank that had been damaged, causing a leak, but upon closer inspection, realized it was a fuel tanker leaking fuel. Fires broke out at multiple locations on the expressway, shrouding the sky in thick smoke.
Another person in the video repeatedly urged the driver: “Hurry, drive away quickly!” There was also a man saying, “The houses are on fire, burning people’s homes.”
On September 27, the video recorder told Jiemu News that she witnessed the traffic accident near the Shanhaiguan service area of the Beijing-Harbin Expressway, but was not clear on the specifics of the incident.
A staff member at the Shanhaiguan service area stated that on the 26th, a traffic accident occurred on the Beijing-bound side of the Beijing-Harbin Expressway, where a semi-trailer truck collided with a fuel tanker. A large fire broke out around 6 p.m., and the fire was extinguished around 8 p.m.
The staff member further mentioned that heavy fog appeared at the entrance of the service area at night, leading to a temporary closure of the section, which has now resumed normal traffic.
A staff member from the Qinhuangdao City Fire Rescue Brigade mentioned that the fire has since been extinguished.
Online discussions ensued:
“Why did the oil tanker leak on the highway, causing fires several tens of meters away from the road, while vehicles were still able to travel on the unaffected parts of the road?”
“Overloaded large trucks are highway killers. Overloading and driver fatigue must be strictly regulated, and drivers found in violation should be banned.”
“The Beijing-Harbin Expressway urgently needs road expansion. Currently, there are too many trucks and too few lanes, leading to frequent accidents.”
“The Beijing-Harbin Expressway has frequent accidents, with narrow roads and many rogue drivers. With a speed limit of 120, vehicles passing through are recklessly fast with heavy fog. Why can’t this dangerous stretch of road be better regulated to prevent similar accidents?”
Last year on a similar date, in the afternoon around 1 p.m., the Beijing-Harbin Expressway also witnessed a chain collision involving multiple heavy trucks, vans, and sedans, resulting in a chaotic and harrowing scene.