Two people have died and a major freight route is closed after a two-truck crash south of Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-north coast early this morning.
Emergency services remain at the scene on the Pacific Highway northbound at Thrumster, where the trucks were found well alight, with the fire spreading to trees and bushes along the roadside.
Inspector Gaven Muller from Fire and Rescue NSW commended the bravery of first responders who arrived at the "horrific" scene before 4:00am.
Fire and Rescue NSW worked with the Rural Fire Service to extinguish the blaze, while HAZMAT crews were managing the removal of hazardous materials.
Crews have also deployed hazardous material booms to contain contaminated water runoff.
Inspector Muller said the clean-up was expected to be "long and protracted" due to the mix of chemicals, aerosols and gas cylinders on board the trucks.
Fatigue a factor
Police have established a crime scene to investigate the crash that killed both truck drivers – a man and a woman, who have yet to be identified.
Inspector Peter McMenamin it was clear that driver fatigue was a contributing factor.
"I would suggest that, whilst we are still looking at the investigation, fatigue has formed a significant part [to the crash]," Inspector McMenamin said.
He said there was a possibility the northbound section of the highway would be closed for days due to the damage from the fire.
A contraflow is in place on the southbound lanes and is expected to be in place for some time.
RFS captain Andrew Knox was among the first to arrive at the scene and said the crash was a sad rarity.
Police will also prepare a report for the coroner.
