JEDDAH: At least one person was reported dead on Friday morning after a road accident caused a massive oil tanker to catch fire on the Haramain expressway, authorities said.

The spokesman for General Directorate of Civil Defense in Makkah, Major Naif Al-Sharif confirmed the fatality inside a burnt vehicle, after a 33-ton oil tanker caught fire, due to an accident, on the main highway between the cities of Makkah and Jeddah.

Photo courtesy: Arab News

Relevant authorities were contacted at 1 AM and they were able to contain the blaze, avoiding a possible explosion of the tanker, Al-Sharif said. Rescue authorities created safe passages for vehicular traffic around the accident site.

Read more: Oil tanker catches fire on Super Highway

Arab News photographer Ahmad Hashad said he saw firemen fighting to contain the inferno engulfing the oil-laden vehicle. Images from the scene showed at least two smaller cars destroyed by the flames.

Photo courtesy: Arab News

The Haramain expressway is the main route into Makkah from Jeddah.

It is the primary route for most pilgrims to the holy city after they land at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport.