FUKUOKA - Thick black smoke billowed across an expressway in Fukuoka on May 11th after a fire broke out beneath an elevated section of the road, temporarily blocking visibility for drivers and forcing a partial road closure.
Video from the scene showed dense smoke rising from below the highway and drifting across the roadway above, obscuring vehicles including a tanker truck just a few meters ahead.
One driver said, "I can hardly see ahead at all. I really can't see anything in front of me."
The fire created highly dangerous driving conditions as smoke spread directly onto the elevated roadway.
According to firefighters and police, piles of tires and bicycles stored beneath the overpass caught fire. Witnesses described the blaze as intense, with thick smoke pouring into the sky due to the burning tires.
A person who reported the incident said, "It was incredible. Because the tires were burning, the smoke was enormous. (Q: Was there any nearby source of fire?) No, none."
The fire was extinguished about an hour later, though part of the expressway was temporarily closed to traffic.
No injuries were reported.
Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
Source: FNN
