A tanker truck explosion in China’s Zhejiang province on Saturday has killed 20 and injured 172. The incident occurred around 4.40pm when a tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas ignited near Liangshan village in Daxi town on a section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, Xinhua reported. On Sunday, local authorities said those injured, including 24 seriously injured, were being treated in hospitals.
Jarring video footage of the accident shows two big blasts, including one that sent a large piece of debris flying into the air and crashing onto buildings in the vicinity.
Other video clips show extensive damage to nearby residential buildings and workshops, as well as victims severely burned walking away from the explosion site with their clothes in tatters.
Watch the explosion and aftermath in the video below (VPN off):
The explosion reached houses several hundred meters away, with one local resident, surnamed Lu, saying, “I was standing at the window when the second blast happened. Fortunately, there was a curtain to protect me, otherwise the glass would have cut my face,” as cited by Xinhua.
Image via @每日经济新闻/Weibo
Search and rescue operations were underway as of Sunday and the cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to Xinhua. Rumors were circulating on Chinese social media that the accident was caused by a collision between the gas tanker and another vehicle, however Zhejiang Highway Traffic Police refuted the claim on Sunday.
[Cover image via @央视新闻/Weibo]
0 User Comments