WATCH: Raging Inferno Swallows New Jersey Truck on Crowded Highway

A box truck that was reportedly carrying corrosive materials when it was rear-ended on a New Jersey highway Monday morning violently exploded with firefighters and motorists nearby, according to video captured by a passerby.

The truck was rear-ended by a bus at around 9 a.m. Monday on eastbound Route 3 near the Valley Road exit in Clifton. The truck crashed through a sound barrier, which separates the highway from residential properties.

A video shared by user @gelo__25 on X, formerly Twitter, who was driving westbound, shows firefighters on the scene, and the truck and the sound barrier burn.

Suddenly an explosion sends a tower of flame into the air, and a firefighter backs away. As it appears the fire dies back down to its previous level, the firefighter continues his approach. Then a second, seemingly more forceful explosion sends flames and debris rushing toward the firefighter, who moves away as the clip ends.

"Great job by Clifton police and fire department to act quick and swiftly getting the cars out of the way," @gelo__25 wrote alongside the video.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation warned motorists that all three lanes were closed in both directions after the explosion. Only eastbound lanes were closed previously.

Following the explosion, the fire spread into the backyards of homes on the other side of the sound barrier, leading to the precautionary evacuation of multiple residences.

The status of the truck's driver was still unclear early Monday afternoon. Clifton Police told CBS New York that there were some injuries, but gave no further details.

The truck was carrying multiple barrels reportedly labeled as corrosive, but the cause of the explosion and the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

--with reporting by TMX

Tags

Explosion, New Jersey, Highway, Truck