China orders investigation of deadly highway fuel tanker blast
- Death toll from explosion rises to 20, with 172 injured, including a 94-year-old
- Search and rescue efforts continue as emergency workers sift through rubble of more than 200 homes
The tanker transporting liquefied natural gas caught fire on the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai near Wenling, a small coastal city in the eastern province of Zhejiang, and exploded at around 4.40pm on Saturday, according to police. The force of the blast blew the vehicle’s chassis onto a nearby factory and its cab more than 100 metres away from the explosion site.
In all, 172 people were injured in the blast, including 24 in a critical condition, Shanghai-based news site The Paper reported.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that most of the injured sustained burns, blast wounds and head injuries. The oldest person injured was 94 years old.
01:16
China orders investigation of deadly highway fuel tanker blast
Around 200 nearby homes were destroyed, The Beijing News reported.