Fuel truck crash sparks huge fire in Mexico, hundreds evacuated

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -A huge blaze erupted in central Mexico on Thursday when a fuel tanker truck crashed into an overpass by a rail line, scorching homes, engulfing the area in thick smoke and leading to a mass evacuation, but there were no fatalities, authorities said.

Video footage of the fire on social media showed a cargo train hurtling through the flames after the accident in the city of Aguascalientes, as stunned drivers at the scene retreated from their cars holding children close.

Aguascalientes fire chief Miguel Murillo said between 800 and 1,000 people were evacuated after the tanker collided with the overpass and set fire to a nearby residential area.

Twelve people had been rescued from houses and no one was injured, Murillo said, although one person had suffered minor effects from smoke inhalation.

The driver of the truck has been arrested, he said.

Local media initially reported that the fuel truck had hit a train.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Sandra Maler and Tom Hogue)