Fire breaks out on canopy of Shenzhen expressway tunnel, disrupting traffic

A fire broke out this afternoon on the canopy of an elevated tunnel along Shenzhen’s Nanping Expressway after a three-vehicle collision, sending thick black smoke into the sky and disrupting traffic in the city’s Nanshan District.

Black smoke billows from the canopy of an elevated tunnel on Nanping Expressway after a fire broke out in the afternoon in Nanshan District. Photos and GIFs from WeChat account "深圳大件事" unless otherwise stated

The accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. near the Shahe West Road exit on the westbound section of the expressway heading toward Bao’an District, according to an official statement released by local authorities.

Authorities said three vehicles were involved in a sideswipe collision, and one vehicle caught fire, igniting the road’s soundproof canopy. No injuries or people trapped were reported.

Images and videos shared by residents on social media showed flames engulfing part of the tunnel canopy as dense black smoke billowed above nearby residential and commercial areas.

Traffic quickly backed up on surrounding roads, including Longzhu Boulevard and Longjing Road, as authorities imposed temporary traffic controls and diverted vehicles from the affected section.

Footage from the scene show flames and thick black smoke rise from the canopy of an elevated tunnel on Nanping Expressway in Nanshan. 

Shenzhen traffic police said in an advisory issued at 5:09 p.m. that the accident had blocked the three right lanes on the Xinwu section of the westbound Nanping Expressway. The connecting road to Shahe West Road was temporarily closed, and motorists were urged to follow police instructions and use alternate routes.

Firefighters, traffic police and other emergency responders were dispatched to the scene.

Authorities later said the fire had been extinguished and that traffic diversion and cleanup operations were ongoing. 

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze on the soundproof canopy of an elevated tunnel along Nanping Expressway after a three-vehicle collision triggered the fire this afternoon. Photo courtesy of SZTVNEWS