Fire Breaks Out in Cargo Truck on Namhae Expressway ... No Casualties Reported

Flames and black smoke are rising from a cargo truck stopped on the shoulder of the Namhae Expressway. Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Department

At 12:31 p.m. on the 14th, a fire broke out in a 25-ton cargo truck traveling toward Busan on the Namhae Expressway in Munsan-eup, Jinju, Gyeongnam.

According to the Gyeongnam Fire Department, the driver pulled over to the shoulder after being told by another driver following behind that "there is a fire at the back of your vehicle."

The driver got out of the truck and saw flames rising near the fourth axle wheel behind the passenger seat, and attempted to extinguish the fire using the onboard fire extinguisher.

Upon receiving the report, firefighting authorities dispatched 26 personnel and 11 pieces of equipment, bringing the fire under control by 1:18 p.m.

No injuries were reported, but the fire damaged the truck's wheels and internal components, resulting in an estimated property loss of about 5.28 million won, according to the fire department.

The police and fire authorities believe the fire was caused by frictional heat from the bearing connecting the wheel to the chassis, and are investigating the exact cause and extent of the damage.