US: Fireworks trailer explodes on highway in Tennessee PHOTO / VIDEO

A trailer loaded with fireworks caught fire and exploded on a highway in the US state of Tennessee, bringing traffic to a standstill and sending fireworks erupting across the road, according to local fire services and viral video footage.

The incident occurred on Interstate 75 North in Hamilton County, where a white pickup truck towing the trailer began emitting smoke on the roadside, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The blaze quickly spread to the trailer, triggering a series of explosions.

Emergency crews from the Chattanooga Fire Department and the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and worked to redirect traffic while extinguishing the fire, local media reported. Traffic was halted for more than three hours.

Bystanders gathered near the scene as fireworks continued to ignite. One witness, Cameron Parker, described the unfolding chaos from a nearby bridge. "What is happening?" Parker asked as he reached a guardrail on a bridge over the road.

As the fireworks continued to detonate and gradually subside, he added: "Is this the grand finale?" Parker joked as the fireworks slowly fizzled out.

Parker later described the scene as it unfolded: "This is nuts. I literally pulled off to the side of the road because I heard it before I saw it, and then I came across this bridge back here. This is absolutely crazy," Parker said.

Fire officials said photos from the scene showed the trailer reduced to smouldering debris, while the pickup truck it was attached to sustained only minor scorch marks. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev