Tanker Blast Closes Freeway

A tanker truck carrying about 6,000 gallons of gas exploded on a busy freeway Sunday, killing the driver, blowing the truck to bits and incinerating a car.

At least seven people were injured in the 9 a.m. explosion that sent a huge ball of flame into the sky, blew a foot-wide hole in the road, ripped the guard rails and damaged the center divide.

Authorities closed the highway, the main interchange between Oakland, Berkeley and the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge.

The California Highway Patrol said the cargo was a mixture of butane and petroleum, a highly flammable liquid.

The truck hit an abutment, punching a hole in the tank. The vehicle then slid along a rail, creating friction that ignited the fuel, officials said.