Sulfuric acid spill closes west Qld hwy

Sulfuric acid has been spilt in a road train rollover on a highway in northwest Queensland.

The Flinders Highway at Maxwelton, near Richmond, will be closed for at least a day as authorities clean up the hazardous material.

There is a 10km exclusion zone around the spill site.

The leak is just 100km from where an estimated 80,000 litres of sulfuric acid was spilt in a train derailment amid a drought-breaking deluge in late December.

The truck was carrying three tanks of sulfuric acid when it rolled on the highway on Monday afternoon.

One of those tanks had leaked, a police spokesman said.

The truck driver was taken to hospital for observation.

Police said the highway would be shut for at least 24 hours from Monday afternoon.