AP-7 cut in Penedès due to fire in two trucks

BarcelonaThe fire of two trucks following a collision on the AP-7 has forced the closure of this road in both directions, at the height of the Penedès town of Santa Margarida i els Monjos. The large flames and thick black smoke caused by the crash of the vehicles are visible from various points in the region, but according to the council, no injuries have occurred. The accident took place next to the company Gedia, a vehicle supplier, whose workers had to be evacuated.

However, Civil Protection has placed the special emergency plan for accidents in the transport of dangerous goods on alert. The Bomberos de Catalunya (Catalonia Firefighters) have mobilized a dozen units, which are working to extinguish the flames and restore traffic on this fast lane. Following the incident, the emergency telephone number 112 has received about sixty calls alerting to the fire.

Following the accident, the AP-7 has been closed in both directions and queues of up to four kilometers have been recorded. Around 10:30 PM, one lane was opened in the southbound direction and it is expected that the rest can be reopened, but in statements to TV3, the director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, Ramon Lamiel, avoided specifying when traffic is expected to be restored in the direction of Barcelona. Furthermore, he warned that the firefighters' work could last for hours and asked drivers who intend to travel on the highway tomorrow, Tuesday, to inform themselves of its status. As an alternative, he pointed to the N-340 and the C-32, a toll road. Once the firefighting tasks are completed, the two vehicles that caught fire will have to be removed by cranes.