Less than 48 hours after Cloncurry man Keith Hulett was killed in an accident outside Mount Isa, another truck crash has closed the Barkly Hwy, this time 50km west of Cloncurry.
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A one kilometre exclusion zone was on the site of the crash overnight due to fears of a fuel explosion.
The road was eventually reopened Sunday morning.
While two trucks and a car were involved on Thursday this time it was a single vehicle accident late Saturday afternoon; a truck that rolled over.
No injuries have been confirmed yet but diesel has spilled onto the highway.
According to the TMR road incident website at 5.34pm, “emergency services have set up an 1km exclusion zone on the Barkly Highway between Mount Isa and Cloncurry.”
An eyewitness to the scene, Michael Fraser driving through a few minutes later, told the North West Star a fuel tanker “has topped over about 60km out of Mount Isa”.
Mr Fraser said initially it was down to single lane as he went past and they were directing people by hand.
“No injuries that I could see and police and fire brigade would be there by now as we passed them as they drove out of Mount Isa,” he said.
At 5.57pm Queensland Police confirmed the road was closed saying diversions were “in place around exclusion zone.”
Update: 7.50pm There is no official confirmation yet the road is reopen but one reader told the North West Star “her husband had got through after a two hour wait”.
Update: 8:08pm
Queensland Emergency Services says no injuries, but road closure still in place.
Update Sunday 9am
Road is reopened.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
