Terrifying moment Philly interstate engulfed by flames after tanker exploded causing it to collapse

Horrifying video has been captured by a driver passing over a Philadelphia Interstate as it became engulfed in flames after a tanker truck carrying gasoline exploded.

Tara Hallinan was among the last of the motorists to make it safely over a section of  I-95 northbound before it finally gave way, having been weakened by the fire early on Sunday.

The video shows thick black smoke billowing from either side of the freeway while enormous flames are seen shooting up into the sky.

After passing through the affected area, Hallinan turns around to film through the rear window of her car through which enormous black clouds of smoke can be seen.

During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said that a vehicle was trapped in the rubble and that it was possible that at least one person could still be inside.

Part of the I-95 Philadelphia Interstate collapsed as a tanker truck carrying gasoline caught fire and exploded. The enormity of the blaze could be seen through the windshield of a driver

From above, the devastation can be seen following the Interstate collapse

Shapiro would not be drawn on whether it might be the driver of the commercial truck that sparked the massive blaze and subsequent bridge collapse. 

Video from the scene showed a massive concrete slab had fallen from I-95 onto the road below. Shapiro said his flight over the area showed 'just remarkable devastation.'

'I found myself thanking the Lord that no motorists who were on I-95 were injured or died,' he said.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney also said that while there are no known fatalities, the situation is 'still fluid.'

Authorities believe the truck was likely carrying hundreds of gallons of gasoline. The fire took about an hour to get under control.

In her rear view mirror thick black clouds of smoke could be seen towering into the sky

Moments are Hallinan had driven across, a massive 4-lane section of roadway collapsed

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said his flight over the area showed 'just remarkable devastation'

While the northbound section now has a gaping hole, the southbound overpass was closed as the blaze has now made it structurally unsound.

Runoff from the fire or perhaps broken gas lines caused explosions underground, he added. 

The crash happened on a ramp underneath northbound I-95 around 6:15am, said state Transportation Department spokesman Brad Rudolph, and the northbound section above the fire collapsed quickly.

The southbound lanes were heavily damaged, and Rudolph said these are being assessed over their safety. 

Shapiro said it would likely take 'some number of months' to fully rebuild the roadway, over which roughly 160,000 vehicles pass daily. 

He said he would sign a disaster declaration on Monday, freeing up federal funds and other help. 

Officials are seen working on the scene following the collapse of an elevated section of Interstate 95

Philadelphia Fire Department firefighters look at the scene of an interstate overpass collapse

The flyover collapsed early on Sunday after a vehicle caught fire, closing the main north-south highway on the East Coast

Shapiro said he had been spoken directly to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and had been assured that there would be 'absolutely no delay' in getting federal funds quickly to rebuild what he called a 'critical roadway'.

Shapiro said the complete rebuild of I-95 would take 'some number of months.' In the meantime, officials are looking at 'interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area.'

The collapsed section of I-95 was part of a $212 million reconstruction project that wrapped up four years ago. 

Thousands of tons of steel and concrete were piled atop the site of the fire, and heavy construction equipment would be required to start to remove the debris, said Dominick Mireles, director of Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management. 

Thousands of tons of steel and concrete were piled atop the site of the fire

The collapse now threatens to upend travel in parts of the densely populated Northeast

The collapse took out four traffic lanes along an elevated section of the heavily traveled motorway, though no injuries were immediately reported

Reports attributed the accident to an oil tanker that burst into flames under the bridge

Officials work on the scene following the collapse of an elevated section of Interstate 95 after a tanker truck caught fire on Sunday in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Shapiro said that while a 'very light sheen' could be seen in the Delaware River near where the gasoline tanker caught fire indicating some gasoline may have spilled into it, booms were quickly put into the water to contain the spread. 

'There is no threat to anyone's drinking water,' Shapiro said.

Mark Fusetti, a retired Philadelphia police sergeant, said he was driving south toward the city´s airport when he noticed thick, black smoke rising over the highway. 

As he passed the fire, the road beneath began to 'dip,' creating a noticeable depression that was visible in video he took of the scene, he said.

He saw traffic in his rearview mirror come to a halt. Soon after, the northbound lanes of the highway crumbled.

'It was crazy timing,' Fusetti said. 'For it to buckle and collapse that quickly, it´s pretty remarkable.'

This stretch of the I-95 corridor sits in the dense northeast section of Philadelphia and connects the city to its northern suburbs, such as Bucks County.

On a Sunday in the summer, it is routinely used by beachgoers coming home from the Jersey Shore. During the week, it is crowded with commuters and vehicles traveling to Boston, Baltimore and Washington.

Officials said travelers should expect delays and encouraged them to plan alternate travel routes, including trains, for their commutes.