2 dead, 5 injured in fiery Florida multicar crash

TAMPA, Fla. – Authorities in Florida say two people have died and five more have been hurt in a fiery eight-vehicle crash that shut down part of an interstate.

News outlets report a tractor-trailer apparently was burning Wednesday night along Interstate 75 near Tampa as emergency crews responded.

Florida Highway Patrol says the truck was unable to brake for a line of stopped traffic. It hit an SUV, setting off a chain-reaction with the other vehicles.

Pasco Fire Rescue announced on Twitter that firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control. Department photos showed multiple heavily damaged cars alongside the interstate.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that officials closed down all northbound lanes for 13 hours while crews worked the scene.

State troopers didn’t immediately identify anyone involved in the crash.