'Major incident' declared as fuel trunk spills on to A38 at Saltash

The A38 at Saltash is still closed today after a fuel truck spilled its load yesterday after breaking down. A major incident has been declared and the A38 has been closed in both directions. The tanker, carrying 38,000 litres of fuel, broke down at Menheniot at 4.30pm yesterday. While being towed away the tanker came away from the tow truck at the top of a steep dual carriageway between Tideford and Landrake. The vehicle rolled down the hill, jack-knifed and turned on its side, rupturing its skin and spilling unleaded petrol down the highway. It is unknown how much fuel has been split but at least one fuel cell containing 7,000 litres was ruptured. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Fuel specialists were called in overnight to pump the remaining fuel from the tanker and stocks of fire fighting foam and specialist equipment were sent to the scene by Devon Fire and Rescue Service as a precautionary measure. The vehicle is being extracted from the scene by crane today but has to be fully ventilated before it is safe to move. The top layer of tarmac will need to be removed by Highways to make the road safe for drivers. It is likely that the A38 will be closed until at least 4pm today. Diversions are in place via Liskeard to Callington on the A388 and A39, with some cordons still being manned by police.