Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A tanker truck was overturned on a road in Pennsylvania on Thursday, spilling thousands of gallons of gasoline and causing hundreds of homes to be evacuated.
The truck had been traveling eastbound on Union Boulevard in the city of Bethlehem when it overturned at the intersection with Paul Ave. around 2:08 a.m., the Bethlehem Police Department said in a statement.
"The truck was carrying about 6,000 gallons combined of gasoline and diesel fuel," Bethlehem police said. "The driver was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries."
Officers used the city's 911 system and went door-to-door to notify residents to evacuate within 1,000 feet of the spill, police said. According to WFMZ, around 400 homes were evacuated.
Other agencies that responded included the Bethlehem Fire Department, Lehigh County Hazardous Materials Team, Rapid Response, Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
"We are in the process of determining what residences are safe to return to, and clean-up will continue throughout the day. The events leading up to the accident are still under investigation," police said.
The Red Cross said in a statement that it responded to "a significant fuel oil spill affecting hundreds of homes."
"Currently, we are providing canteen services to responders, mobilizing shelter teams to support the evacuation site, and coordinating with local officials to determine community needs and next steps," the Red Cross statement reads.
"This response and spill is still active."
