Driver killed in propane truck fire on Hwy 71 near Olivia

Update 5 p.m.

OLIVIA, Minn. - A propane truck has caught fire on U.S. Highway 71, northwest of Olivia, killing the driver.

Lt. Mark Peterson of the Minnesota State Patrol says the explosion and fire happened at about 7:20 a.m. Sunday on Highway 71 near the intersection of U.S. Highway 212.

The Renville County Sheriff's Department said the truck was hauling propane.

As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the road was still closed while fire, rescue and law enforcement agencies responded.

The driver's name hasn't been released.

Witnesses told WCCO-AM that flames could be seen from a distance and that the explosion shook some buildings in the area.

Investigators are on the scene trying to figure out what happened.

Part of Highway 71 was blocked Sunday morning at the scene of the fire.

Olivia is located about 26 miles south of Willmar.