I-95 collapse rescue teams find human remains in wreckage of tanker fire disaster in Philadelphia
Human remains have been found in the wreckage of a part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia one day after the elevated section collapsed following a truck fire, Pennsylvania State Police said.
The remains were turned over to the state Medical Examiner's Office for identification. Officials have not yet said if the remains were those of the truck driver.
"At least one vehicle is still trapped underneath the collapsed roadway," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a Sunday briefing at the scene. "We're still working to identify any individual or individuals who may have been caught in the fire and the collapse."
A tanker fire Sunday morning collapsed the northbound lanes of I-95, authorities said, and the southbound lanes were "compromised." Shapiro said that the source of the fire was a commercial truck believed to be carrying a petroleum-based product. He said it would take "months" to repair the heavily-use interstate. He issued a disaster declaration on Monday.
Crews worked Sunday into Monday clearing tons of debris, rubble and steel from the scene.
Around 160,000 vehicles travel on the impacted section of I-95 each day, Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said. It is a main artery going north-to-south along the East Coast, said Michael Carroll, the deputy managing director for Transportation in Philadelphia.
A National Transportation Safety Board team will investigate the fire and collapse, the agency said. The Federal Highway Administration is assisting with reopening the impacted portion of I-95.
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