Two people died in the road accident on the A21, Piacenza-Brescia near the town of Caorso, in the province of Piacenza.
At kilometer 179 north, due to the collision between two heavy vehicles, one of these, a tank loaded with flammable bitumen, caught fire.
The fire brigade teams of Piacenza and Fiorenzuola intervened on the spot together with the 118 vehicles and the air ambulance.
The highway was closed by the Cremona traffic police in both directions.
The first victim extracted is the driver of the tanker and then the driver of the van involved in the collision.
Both victims have not yet been identified.
Another person, driving the truck which was also hit by the van, was injured after the impact with the tanker and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
The roadway restoration and safety operations are still in progress.
The Red Cross operators were also on site in support of the many motorists who were stranded.