By Sibanengi Dube
Panic gripped motorists in Canberra as a fuel tanker cathes fire on the Monaro Highway, south of Williamsdale, early on Monday morning.
An on transit B-double fuel tanker went up in smoke while carrying a combination of diesel and petroleum. No injuries were reported except for the driver who was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The fire has now been extinguished and firefighters are conduction clean-up operations. The crews safely monitored the 48, 000 litre fuel tanker, filled to capacity burning. Sections of the surrounding Monaro Highway were still engulfed in smoke when Canberra Live news team arrived at the inferno scene
The cause of the fire is unknown but has not been deemed suspicious.
One lane of the Monaro Highway has now reopened.
Stop/slow restrictions are still in place on that one lane, but motorists are now able to travel between Bredbo in NSW and Tuggeranong in the ACT, although they are advised to factor in extra time.
Emergency services responded to the incident, including: ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service, ACT & NSW Policing and Environmental Protection Authority.
All the emergency services promised to issue a statement after normalcy returns to Monaro Highway.
