Horrific footage shows a tractor-trailer exploding on Route 3 in Clifton, New Jersey, killing the driver.

“Watch as numerous emergency personnel, along with Hazmat, respond to a major tractor-trailer accident earlier this morning that closed lanes of a highway and forced evacuations of nearby homes in Clifton, New Jersey. Officials say a bus rear-ended the truck, which was filled with chemicals which caused it to crash into a barrier wall. This resulted in a major explosion and fireball as numerous drums full of chemicals exploded from the truck,” Rawsalerts wrote.

“Some of the drums ended up in the backyard of a home They are still trying to identify exactly what the chemicals are and if it’s safe to go near them. Officials report no one on the bus was injured, but the truck driver has sadly passed away,” the post added.

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Per CBS News:

Route 3 remains closed in Clifton, New Jersey, after a truck apparently carrying hazardous materials crashed into a wall and exploded on Monday morning, killing the driver and melting the siding off homes on the other side.

Officials said the truck was rear-ended by a bus at around 9 a.m. on the eastbound side of the highway before it careened through the wall near the Valley Road exit and blew up.

Witnesses saw “multiple fireballs”

A driver captured video of the moment the truck exploded as it crashed through the wall and into backyards on Normandy Road on the other side.

“There were actually multiple fireballs. It wasn’t just one big one. The last big one, we were told to evacuate,” said Clifton resident Anup Patel.

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NBC New York reports:

County prosecutors reported that a 55-year-old man from Linden who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash had died. They added that the cause of the crash had not yet been determined.

Route 3 is currently closed in both directions through Clifton and is expected to be closed into the evening, officials said. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

Officials responded by the afternoon to assess environmental impacts. The NJDEP confirmed some fuel “and other liquids” had reached a nearby storm drain, but said there were no concerns about any possible air contaminants.

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