BOGOTA, Colombia — Two people died and 19 others were wounded Wednesday morning in a devastating multi-vehicle collision at a toll plaza in central Colombia, according to local officials. People who witnessed the crash reported hearing multiple explosions as video footage revealed vehicles completely consumed by fire.
The deadly incident occurred when a milk truck experienced brake failure and slammed into six other vehicles and one motorcycle that were stopped at the toll facility in the Cundinamarca region, located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Bogota, according to Governor Emilio Rey, who posted details on X.
Rey confirmed that those wounded in the crash are receiving medical care at area hospitals, though he did not release information about the severity of their injuries.
Video footage aired by Colombian news outlets captured people weeping as they worked to help or rescue those who became trapped, while vehicles burned and lay destroyed around the toll area.
“I saw when the truck went through the toll booth, then there was an explosion, it overturned, and there were strong explosions and vehicles burning,” witness Hollman Osma told local news station Noticias Caracol. “There was absolutely nothing that could be done.”
Emergency responders dispatched no fewer than 11 ambulances along with firefighting crews and police officers to the crash site, Rey informed Noticias Caracol. The highway continues to remain shut down.
