Driver escapes as truck explodes in Limerick

A driver has had a miraculous escape after the cab of his truck exploded into a fireball and "melted" into the road this afternoon.

The cab of the articulated truck took fire on the N18 between Rosbrien and the Dock Road at around 1pm, sparking traffic chaos.

The driver jumped from the vehicle after plumes of smoke began billowing from the cab. The truck's long trailer, normally used for transporting wide loads of timber, was not carrying cargo at the time.

The fire which was eventually quenched by Limerick City and County Fire Service caused 90 minute traffic delays stretching serval kilometres.

Pic via @LimerickFire

Gardaí closed the road on the inbound Limerick lane, shortly after 1pm and reopened the motorway just before 3pm.

Eye witnesses said they saw the man jumping from the cab seconds before it was engulfed in flames.

It is understood the brave driver also managed to detach the trailer from the cab before the flames spread to the cargo hold.

One motorist said: "The flames were fairly spectacular and there was black smoke billowing around 60 feet into the sky."

"The cab looked like it was melted to the road. The driver had a lucky escape. It's destroyed.

"We couldn't turn around so we were stuck here for over an hour at least," he added.

Limerick Fire Service transported a heavy duty crane to the scene to lift the truck's cab off the road onto a tow truck. It has been removed from the scene for a forensic analysis to help determine the cause of the ferocious blaze.

@LimerickFire crane taking wreckage away pic.twitter.com/XY26y3a9u8

— AV8TeamSolutions (@Av8Team) June 3, 2015

National Roads Authority motorway maintenance crews were dispatched to the scene to help divert traffic.

Two units of Limerick Fire Service and one large water tanker vehicle, rushed to the scene, and -- as part of newly introduced health and safety safety guidelines -- part of its fleet of fire trucks parked across the road to "fend off" oncoming motorists from entering the scene.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.