Crash, spill close San Tin Highway for hours during Friday Rush Hour
Nobody killed but roads paralysed for hours during Friday evening's rush-hour commute
A New Territories highway was closed for hours yesterday after a rush-hour accident involving a tanker and a car left two people injured and the road covered in oil.
Emergency workers shut down the five Sheung Shui-bound lanes of San Tin Highway from about 5pm, as they worked to free the two drivers from their vehicles.
By the early hours of this morning only two lanes had been reopened as the cleanup continued.
The crash happened at about 5pm when a car swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle and hit a curb near Au Tau in Yuen Long, flipping over.
A fuel tanker travelling in the same direction tried to swerve to avoid the wreckage but the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned, spilling fuel oil onto the highway.
The drivers of both the car and the tanker were trapped in their crushed vehicles. Neither had been carrying any passengers.
Around a dozen firefighters arrived at the scene soon after the accident and succeeded in cutting the men free.
Both drivers were taken to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long. One victim was said to be in stable condition last night and the other had been released late yesterday.
The crash paralysed traffic in the area.
The Transport Department urged drivers to use other roads as the tailback grew rapidly, and buses to Sheung Shui were re-routed.
