Apocalyptic footage shows the moment a fuel tanker exploded under a bridge near the Panama Canal, almost engulfing traffic in a fireball.
Orange flames came perilously close to consuming vehicles in Panama City on Monday, according to footage shared online.
The fireball shot up the side of the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, and thick, black smoke billowed into the sky.
Authorities confirmed one person was killed while carrying out fuel supply work, and two firefighters were hospitalized with second-degree burns, according to La Prensa.
The blaze started in one truck before spreading to the other vehicles, Panama fire chief Col. Ángel Delgado said.
Two tankers, which can hold between 5,000 and 10,000 gallons of fuel each, were also damaged.
Around 50 fire crews responded to the blaze and it took firefighters around three hours to get the fire under control.
The bridge, which opened in 1962 and cost $20 million, has since been closed and will be inspected Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse.
Panama President José Raúl Mulino warned commuters would face problems getting to work Tuesday and called on businesses to implement necessary measures.
“Let us hope to return to normalcy as soon as possible,” he wrote on X.
Aviation authorities considered suspending operations at Panama City’s Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport due to visibility concerns but decided against it.
