THE Great Western Highway at Kelso became a no-go zone on Thursday afternoon following a multi-vehicle collision.
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The accident occurred just after 1:30pm on the stretch of road between Littlebourne Street and Pat O'Leary Drive.
Five cars and a fuel tanker travelling in the eastbound lane were involved in the accident.
Police and emergency services attended the devastating scene, which brought traffic to a standstill for several kilometres in either direction.
There were nine ambulances tasked to the crash, including a medical team from Orange, a crew from Blayney and paramedics from Bathurst.
Crews at the scene quickly established that there was no danger of a fuel spill from the tanker and proceeded to attend to the other vehicles involved.
Paramedics assessed 10 people in total beneath portable tents that had been erected nearby.
Two people from one of the vehicles involved were trapped for a long period of time before they were safely removed by Police Rescue and transported to hospital.
One patient received a possible broken leg and fractured pelvis, and the other was suspected to have internal injuries.
Seven patients were transported to Bathurst Base Hospital and Orange Health Service to treat minor injuries, while two patients were airlifted from the scene.
Motorists travelling on the Great Western Highway experienced delays throughout the afternoon and well into the evening as the crash site was cleared.
