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Three people dead after horror crash between fuel tanker and cars

Three people have died after a crash between two cars and a fuel tanker in North Queensland.

Debris was strewn across the bitumen of the Bruce Highway and into a neighbouring paddock, 4km north of Bowen, after the crash about 2.20pm on Tuesday.

The ute tried to overtake but smashed head-on into the tanker, killing the ute driver instantly.

The tanker then jack-knifed into the path of a 4WD and rolled on top of it killing the two occupants in the car.

Three people have died after two cars and a fuel tanker crashed on the Bruce Highway near Bowen in North Queensland. Source: 7 News
Three people have died after two cars and a fuel tanker crashed on the Bruce Highway near Bowen in North Queensland. Source: 7 News

Footage from the scene shows the tanker’s upturned fuel trailer jutting into the air and blocking the roadway, while its still-attached front lay on its side in grass nearby.

The truck driver was uninjured in the accident, Queensland Ambulance said.

Fuel spilled across the highway following the crash but a large percentage of the 11,000 litres of diesel needed to be pumped out before the truck can be removed, police said.

The highway is expected to remain closed for seven hours.

The ute crashed into a tanker with the roadway set to be closed long into the night. Source: 7 News
The ute crashed into a tanker with the roadway set to be closed long into the night. Source: 7 News

The traffic artery is the only coastal road in the area and not easily bypassed, police said.

Forensic crash investigators are travelling to the site.

A Queensland Police spokesman told Yahoo7 the crash had been fatal but could not confirm the number of deaths.

With AAP