Tanker blast kills at least 19
Print Edition
THE death toll from a Saturday’s gas tanker blast in east China’s Zhejiang Province rose to 19, local authorities confirmed yesterday.
A total of 172 injured people, including 24 seriously injured, were receiving medical treatment in hospitals.
The accident occurred about 4:40pm on Saturday when the tanker loaded with liquefied petroleum gas exploded near the Liangshan Village in Daxi Town under the city of Wenling at an exit of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway.
A second blast occurred when the blown-up tanker fell onto a workshop near the expressway.
Residential houses and factory workshops collapsed from the two explosions.
Video footage of the accident showed a huge ball of fire shooting into the air.
“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,” said Lu Zhenghui, whose house was several hundred meters away from the explosion site.
Lu said as he picked up his daughter and ran downstairs, he saw broken glass, shattered aluminum doors and windows scattered along the way.
Xinhua reporters at the site saw many collapsed houses and factories. Nearby windows were shattered; roadside cars were twisted out of shape while smoke was still bellowing, filling the air with a pungent smell.
The First People’s Hospital of Wenling has admitted 79 injured people, including 17 who were critically wounded. Cai Haijun, deputy head of the hospital, said those in critical condition were mainly suffering from explosion-related injuries and extensive burns.
So far, more than 2,660 rescue personnel, 151 rescue vehicles and over 30 large rescue machinery and equipment were sent to the site for rescue work, said Zhu Minglian, vice mayor of Wenling.
More than 630 medical workers were also mobilized for the treatment of the injured, said Zhu.
Zhou Pengjian, a firefighter, said many rescuers suffered dehydration and heatstroke as they braved high temperatures to pull residents out of the debris.
Local environmental protection authorities carried out real-time monitoring of the air and water around the accident site. No obvious pollution has been found so far, said Zhu.
Rescue and search efforts are under way. The cause of the accident is under further investigation.
The Ministry of Public Security has sent a working group to help with investigations into the explosion. It has urged local public security authorities to make an all-out effort to deal with the emergency and help with the rescue and treatment of the injured.
A People’s Daily report said a central government commission responsible for safety production called for traffic police to step up law enforcement focusing on vehicles such as those carrying dangerous chemicals.
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