One person died on Monday after a truck caught fire on the N3 freeway on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal transport department said.

Spokesperson Zinhle Mngomezulu said two trucks were involved in a collision on the N3 south bound freeway shortly after 8.30am.

"The driver of one of the trucks was burnt to death - more details will be released shortly," she said.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Henry Budhram said: "At the moment, the truck is still on fire and the N3 freeway has been closed."

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. - Sapa