TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Death toll rises to 18 in China tanker truck blast
The force of the blast on Saturday afternoon caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, and sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed several cars.
Change Size
This photo taken on June 13, 2020 shows a man walking past a building and car damaged by a tanker explosion near Wenling, in China's eastern Zhejiang province. The number of people killed in a tanker truck explosion on a highway in eastern China has climbed to 18, with nearly 200 more injured, local authorities said on June 14. (Agence France Presse/STR)
T
he number of people killed in a tanker truck explosion on a highway in eastern China has climbed to 18, with nearly 200 more injured, local authorities said Sunday.
The force of the blast on Saturday afternoon caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, and sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed several cars.
China's emergency management department said Sunday morning there were 189 injured people still being treated in hospital, after the accident near Wenling city in the eastern province of Zhejiang.
Local authorities said the truck was loaded with liquefied gas.
Dramatic video footage of the accident published by state media showed a huge ball of fire shooting into the air as people screamed.
In one clip, a large piece of debris is seen flying into the air before crashing on some nearby buildings.
Another video showed the remains of the tanker and several truck tyres smashed into a building, which had been reduced to rubble.
State news agency Xinhua reported Sunday that there was a second blast when the truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway after the first explosion.
Emergency responders were still conducting search and rescue operations, it added.
Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or not enforced.
Last year, at least 36 people died and 36 others were hurt in eastern China when a packed coach with a flat tyre collided with a truck.
