Two trucks collided laterally and ended up on fire around 8:44 p.m. on Monday at kilometer 200 of the AP-7, near Santa Margarida i els Monjos. One was carrying tiles and the other aerosols, a cargo that caused a large explosion and spread the fire to the vegetation on the shoulder.
The two drivers were unharmed, but the accident initially kept the highway closed in both directions and still affects traffic this Tuesday. The tension of the incident lies in the contrast between the absence of injuries and the prolonged impact on one of the country's main roads, with traffic jams of more than seven kilometers in the direction of Barcelona.
The fire forced the closure of the AP-7 and caused queues towards the province of Tarragona
The System of Medical Emergencies mobilized two ambulances and a joint SEM-Bombers team. At the same time, Bombers de la Generalitat deployed 15 units to tackle the fire in the vehicles and the flames that reached the vegetation next to the road.
During the night, the highway was affected in both directions by the magnitude of the fire and by the cargo scattered on the road. The extinguishing work concluded around 3:45 a.m.
Afterwards, traffic towards Tarragona was able to resume earlier. In the direction of Barcelona, the Catalan Traffic Service reported the opening of one lane shortly after seven in the morning on Tuesday, although normalization was far from achieved and traffic jams exceeded seven kilometers.
The aerosol cargo forced the extension of cleaning and road surface repair
The explosion occurred when the truck carrying aerosols caught fire, while the other vehicle was carrying tiles. This combination complicated the intervention and forced the tasks to be extended once the flames were extinguished, with material scattered on the highway and damage to the road surface.
Cleaning work is now continuing with an excavator to remove the merchandise that was scattered on the roadway and on the shoulders. The trucks have already been removed, but the removal of the cargo and the repair of the damaged pavement still need to be completed.
Protecció Civil deactivated the alert of the Transcat plan for accidents with dangerous goods after the improvement of the situation. The extinguishing of the fire had concluded around 3:45 a.m.