Large truck explosion causes road closures, evacuations in Clifton

Authorities are still looking for the driver of a large truck that exploded and caught fire, which prompted road closures and traffic delays in Clifton on Monday morning.

It happened on Route 3 near East Valley Road around 9 a.m. but the large mess left behind will likely take a while to be cleaned up.

Route 3 is closed in both directions -- eastbound lanes are closed at Route 46 and westbound lanes are closed at Grove Street.

The fire chief said it happened when the box truck was rear-ended by a bus. The truck then exploded when it crashed through the sound barrier into the back yard of several houses.

The truck apparently had signs saying it was carrying a corrosive, but it is not yet clear what the chemical was.

While the driver of the truck remains unaccounted for, everyone on the bus is said to be OK.

The fire went into storm drains and into the back yards of some of the homes. The soundwall along the road was damaged and several homes have been evacuated as a precaution.

The vinyl siding of the house behind that wall appeared to be completely melted off the side.

Police say drivers should avoid the area. Heavy delays are expected.

Officials with the Passaic Valley Water Commission said they are aware some customers in that area are experiencing discolored water.

This is breaking news. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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