A tanker filled with gas exploded in a huge fireball on the motorway leaving eight people injured.
Horror footage shows vehicles stopped as flames billow from the ablaze HGV on the roadside.
They believe they are keeping a safe distance from the burning tanker – until it suddenly explodes.
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People start running for their lives as the ensuing fireball grows in size and consuming the surrounding air.
The terrifying scenes unfolded on the BR-010 motorway near Paragominas, north of Brasilia, Brazil.
The trucker later told the police he had pulled over onto the hard shoulder after the fire began in a tyre.
Eight people sustained second or third-degree burns in the accident on Wednesday (3 Jul).
Three firefighters were among the injured, as reported on Need To Know.
At the time of reporting, two people were still in hospital in Paragominas.
The blast was so powerful that debris from the tanker was flung into the air and landed about 500 metres away.
The fire also spread to the vegetation flanking the roadway.
The firefighters were likely saved by the PPE they were wearing.
Fire Brigade commander Jorge Oliveira told local media: “If it weren’t for that, it is likely that we would have had more severe casualties.”
The police are investigating the cause of the fire.
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