Shortly before 9:00 Wednesday morning a semi pulling a main tanker with approximately 40,000 litres of diesel and a pup unit with around 11,500 litres of gas crashed and caught fire east of Richer on highway 1.

Steinbach RCMP says it appears as though the driver had a lapse in concentration, hit the shoulder, and the tankers pulled the semi onto it’s side where the cab snapped off and fell back on it’s wheels. Police say the two occupants of the semi were able to escape before the fuel caught fire and both tankers blew up. The driver and passenger of the semi-truck were taken to Ste. Anne Hospital with minor injuries, transported to Bethesda Hospital for further tests, then sent back to Ste. Anne.

RCMP add a variety of services attended the collision including representatives from the fuel company, Highways Department, Environmental Office, Miller Environmental, Motor Carrier Enforcement, RCMP Traffic Analyst, and Steinbach RCMP Detachment.

As of 4:00 p.m. the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 between Roads 48E and 49E were still closed. The investigation is ongoing.

Read More: Two Taken To Hospital Following Tanker Crash

Tanker burns next to Highway 1