Tanker overturns on rural Normandy road spilling thousands of litres of fuel

A lorry carrying 9,000 litres of fuel overturned on a Normandy road yesterday (December 11), trapping its driver inside the cabin and spilling its contents. 

The truck overturned early in the morning on the RD 142 in Seine-Maritime after a traffic accident. 

The 52-year-old driver was left trapped in the cabin and called emergency services for assistance.

The road was closed to traffic until 18:00 in both directions as rescue and clean-up operations took place.

The truck driver suffered minor injuries but was treated on site. Nobody else was injured.

However, much of the fuel held in the tankard spilled out of the truck and into the surrounding fields. 

Pollution fears

A clean-up operation was carried out by local firefighters, and the regional health authorities will assess the area for pollutant damage.

Environmental assessments by waste company VEOLIA and the nearby Limésy water treatment plant were carried out immediately following the incident, firefighters from the Seine-Maritime department said.

The leaked fuel may affect the water treatment plant at nearby Limésy.

If pollution levels reach a certain point, water services to around 25,000 nearby homes will be temporarily cut off. 

“The accident occurred right in the middle of the Austreberthe [water] catchment area,” said Laurent Ouillon, head of water services in the Caux-Austreberthe community of communes to French media outlet Actu. 

It means that “all vigilance must be taken,” regarding water services in the local area, he added.

As of this morning, water services are reported to remain in operation.

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