This is the moment a fuel tanker burst into flames on the AP-7 motorway near Benahavis on Monday evening, killing at least two people.
Five others have been injured after the devastating crash involving two other vehicles at around 5.50pm on the carriageway heading towards Malaga.
According to the Provincial Fire Consortium and Andalucia’s 112 emergency service, the crash involved a fuel tanker and a recovery truck transporting another vehicle.
Following the impact, the tanker caught fire, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air and briefly raising fears that the blaze could spread into nearby woodland.
Firefighters arriving at the scene confirmed that two people had died in the collision, while the burning tanker ignited vegetation close to the Benahavis Botanical Garden.
Emergency services treated five people for injuries. One 55-year-old remains in a very serious condition, while three others, aged 68, 52 and 42, suffered serious injuries.
Another 42-year-old sustained minor injuries.
The casualties were taken to hospitals including Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella, Hospital Clinico in Malaga and Hospital Punta Europa in Algeciras.
A medical helicopter was used to airlift one of the seriously injured patients.
The motorway was closed in both directions as firefighters tackled the blaze, causing major disruption across the western Costa del Sol.
Residents living nearby were advised to keep doors and windows shut to prevent smoke entering their homes and to avoid the affected area.
INFOCA crews were also deployed amid concerns that the fire could spread into surrounding vegetation.
However, the regional wildfire service later confirmed the blaze had been extinguished before reaching nearby forest land.
The operation involved two helicopters, 26 ground personnel and a fire engine, with an 18-person monitoring team remaining on site afterwards to guard against any flare-ups.
The carriageway towards Algeciras reopened shortly before 9pm, although disruption continued in the area while emergency services completed their work and investigators began examining the cause of the fatal collision.
Marbella City Council confirmed that its local fire brigade was among those tackling the blaze, with a major preventative deployment aimed at stopping the flames from spreading into nearby woodland.
The council said four fire engines and 10 firefighters from Marbella were sent to the scene.
They worked alongside the Malaga Provincial Fire Consortium and INFOCA wildfire crews to bring the fire under control and protect the surrounding area.
Shortly after 8pm, INFOCA confirmed the inferno had been fully extinguished, with crews successfully preventing the flames from spreading into nearby woodland.
The firefighting agency said the blaze did not affect the surrounding forest, despite prompting a major emergency response.
The incident came just days after a major wildfire erupted from the AP-7 in Benahavis, forcing the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents from urbanisations including Parque Botanico, Los Flamingos and Four Seasons.
That fire was eventually brought under control after a huge multi-agency operation involving INFOCA, local fire brigades and the Guardia Civil.
