A full fuel pump at a service station has burst, spilling thousands of litres of petrol and shutting down a highway west of Brisbane.
Police set up a 500m exclusion zone around the Fernvale petrol station and closed the Brisbane Valley Highway after the fuel pump started leaking at 10am on Sunday.
It is believed the full fuel pump contained 8000 litres of petrol.
“There is no fire and no one is injured. The fuel will need to evaporate over several hours, closing the Brisbane Valley Highway near the incident,” a police statement said.
The petrol station was evacuated while emergency services also cordoned off a nearby marketplace and pie shop.
Police began reopening the highway almost two hours after shutting down the area.
But motorists have been urged to avoid the area, with delays of up to seven hours expected.
Extracted from Namoi Valley Independent