Colorado crash: ‘Multiple people’ killed in explosion after truck careens into school bus and 12 cars

Investigators are attempting to determine what caused the driver to lose control and hit a school bus, three trucks, and 12 cars

Multiple people have reportedly died after a fireball crash on an interstate road in Colorado.

A large tractor trailer lost control and ploughed into traffic at Lakewood, just west of Denver - hitting four trucks, a school bus, and 24 cars before exploding on the I-70 on Thursday.

Disturbing video showed thick black smoke billowing into the air and wrecked vehicles strewn across the motorway. The fire took hours to subside.

“The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire,” said Ty Countryman, spokesperson for the local police.

One of the trucks hit was carrying lumber, and combined with the diesel spill, helped make the fire more intense.

While the children on the school bus sustained only minor injuries, others were killed or seriously injured.

Victims have yet to be identified, but the driver responsible - identified as Rogel Lazaro Aguilera - survived, and was treated at a local hospital for his injuries.

He was driving down a hill at the time of the crash, and investigators are examining whether his brakes were working at the time.

There is no indication that alcohol or drugs played a part in the crash.