2 dead after crash leads to explosion, fire on Hwy. 401

Two people are dead after a three-vehicle crash on Highway 401 in Pickering caused multiple explosions and fires late Tuesday night.

Two people are dead after a transport truck carrying a "highly flammable" liquid lost control and exploded on Highway 401 in Pickering late Tuesday night.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said it is believed that a tanker truck carrying a full load of “highly flammable” liquid was travelling in the eastbound lanes of the highway when, for some unknown reason, the driver lost control and ended up in the westbound lanes.

Schmidt said the truck "exploded into a fireball" and the flames spread to an oncoming transport truck and passenger vehicle.

"There were two other westbound vehicles that got tangled up within that mess with that fire and oil and flammable liquid basically spraying all across the highway and into these vehicles, which is what we believe right now may have triggered these two vehicles to catch fire," he told CP24 on Wednesday.

The driver of both transport trucks were pronounced dead at the scene, Schmidt confirmed.

"There was a third vehicle involved that also burned, those occupants… were able to escape their vehicle before being overcome by fire and smoke," he added.

Schmidt said significant repair work will need to be carried out before the highway can reopen.