China truck explosion: 18 dead, 189 injured after vehicle crash near Wenling

In this aerial photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a view of the damaged buildings in the aftermath of a tanker truck explosion near Liangshan village of Wenling city in eastern China's Zhejiang province on June 14, 2020. Photo / AP

Nineteen people have died and almost 200 were injured when a tanker carrying liquefied gas exploded on a road in China.

Images from the scene show extensive damage to buildings including rows of shops with their facades blow out.

The truck was travelling through Zheijiang province in southeast China on Saturday when the incident happened. About 4.45pm the vehicle exploded on a highway close to the city of Wenling.

The truck was propelled into the air by the force of the initial explosion with a second occurring as it landed on a factory building. One dramatic video, posted online by Chinese government newspaper The People's Daily, showed what appeared to be the truck hurtling through the sky.

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In this aerial photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a view of the damaged buildings in the aftermath of a tanker truck explosion near Liangshan village of Wenling city in eastern China's Zhejiang province on June 14, 2020. Photo / AP

At least 189 people were injured alongside the 18 deaths. Wenling's deputy mayor, Zhu Minglian was reported as saying that more than 2600 rescue workers were deployed to the site, and efforts were still under way to recover survivors.

Search and rescue dogs are working hard on the scene where a tank truck loaded with liquified petroleum gas exploded Saturday in Wenling, east #China's Zhejiang Province.

After one of the dogs injured its leg, firefighters treated the wound of this little warrior. pic.twitter.com/g6o27QdgQ2

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) June 14, 2020

Local media outlets have said the company that owned the vehicle had been penalised 11 times over health and safety failures.