Frederick (US), Mar 5 (AP) A tanker truck overturned on a Maryland highway on Saturday in a fiery crash that killed the driver and burned vehicles and homes, authorities said.

The truck crashed on US 15 in Frederick, about an hour's drive west of Baltimore. The roadway was shut down in both directions for an "extended closure", the State Highway Administration said.

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The vehicle was a gas tanker that overturned, hit a tree and exploded, the Frederick News-Post reported. Photos showed massive flames and billowing smoke.

The driver died and the cause of the crash is under investigation, Maryland State Police tweeted. The agency said the fire damaged "multiple vehicles and homes" and no one else was hurt.

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A news conference was planned for 3 pm. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)