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Supplied
A view of the truck fire early on Wednesday morning.
Up to 30 people have been evacuated from homes near Auckland’s Southern Motorway, after a truck carrying chemicals exploded into flames in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Fire and Emergency NZ said between 20-30 people were evacuated from houses on Harbourside Drive adjacent to motorway.
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Ophaheke local Stacey Madden, 36, said she could hear the “enormous explosions” from her house.
“It woke me up and I honestly through there was army gunfire going on. I got out of bed, and could see the flames clearly from my window.”
“There was smoke everywhere. Huge plumes of smoke,” she said.
Madden said the explosions could be hear for about half an hour.
The fire happened on the northbound lane of the Southern Motorway, just north of the Papakura on-ramp.
Police told Newshub the truck was carrying highly flammable gas cannisters, which had exploded into bushes lining the motorway.
Those people evacuated were given the all clear to begin return home just before 7am. Newshub reporter they had been sheltering at a nearby McDonald’s.
FENZ said the fire was large when they arrived on scene at 3.10am.
The fire has since been contained but large amounts of smoke was still pouring out and over the area. At the peak of the fire, 12 fire trucks were in attendance.
Just before 6am there were still 8 on scene, FENZ said.
The Southern Motorway was partially closed due to the fire.
“Due to a truck fire, SH1 is closed after Papakura,” Waka Kotahi said on its website. “Avoid this area and expect delays.”
There have been no reports of injuries.
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