Five workers dead in South Texas oil field tanker crash
The men, who are thought to be oil field workers, died around 8:15 a.m. local time near an Eagle Ford shale site in Dimmit County, Reuters said.
Three other people were injured.
The names of the victims have not been released.
The crash happened when the oil tanker truck took evasive action after a pickup truck traveling in front of the tanker made a sudden left turn.
The tanker driver lost control and flipped the vehicle onto the highway.
Two vehicles traveling behind the tanker crashed into it and went up in flames.
The driver of the second vehicle that crashed into the tanker suffered burns over 85 percent of his body and was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital were he is reportedly in critical condition.
The driver of the tanker and the pickup suffered less sever injuries, a Texas state police official said.
No spills were reported.
The accident is currently being instigated.
The Texas fracking boom has caused a spike in motor accidents as heavy trucks use roads intended for lighter vehicles and workers put in long shifts before commuting home.