China's tanker explosion on highway kills 19 and injured 172
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The incident's video was posted online by the state-run CGTN TV which showed debris of the exploded vehicle flying all around, causing extensive damage to the neighbouring residential units.
A tanker truck exploded in southeast China that has killed 19 people and injured 172, as per state-run People' Daily said on Sunday.
The tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded causing flames and a cloud of smoke high into the sky at a highway exit in Taizhou in Zhejiang province on Saturday afternoon, an earlier report said.
The incident's video was posted online by the state-run CGTN TV which showed debris of the exploded vehicle flying all around, causing extensive damage to the neighbouring residential units.
Several cars and vehicles around the area also caught fire following the explosion.
One of the eye-witness Lu fang, who works in the nearby restaurant said that he heard a loud bang, he thought it was a flat tire commonly heard along the expressway. But the photos were being shared on social media. Some videos even showed the front of a row of houses collapsed in the explosion.
"The glass on the windows and doors of my home were all shattered. Luckily my mother and brother were unharmed," Lu said.
The cause of the accident is currently under the investigation. The government commission has called for traffic police to step up law enforcement focusing on vehicles such as those carrying dangerous chemicals and has ensured that the investigation will be complete after a certain time.
Several cars and vehicles around the area also caught fire following the explosion.
(Inputs from Reuters)