Cleanup underway after military fuel truck overturns on N.W.T. highway

Cleanup is underway after a military fuel tanker filled with thousands of litres of diesel overturned on a highway in the Northwest Territories.

A spokesperson for Joint Task Force North says the truck was supporting a military convoy between Edmonton and Yellowknife on Monday, when it lost control and tipped over near Kakisa, between Fort Providence and Enterprise.

It caused a slow fuel leak of roughly 2,900 litres of diesel, equivalent to the size of a small pool.

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The Canadian Armed Forces says the truck, which was carrying 15,000 litres of fuel, has been recovered.

Nobody was hurt, but the truck driver and passenger were taken to hospital as a precaution.

The spokesperson says the spill has been contained and the remaining fuel transferred.

RCMP say road conditions and weather are believed to have been factors, and a spokesperson with the territorial government says it’s aware of the spill.