At least 19 killed, 172 injured in East China tanker blast
By Dou Hanyang
People's Daily app
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Photo: CGTN

The explosion of a tanker transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) on an expressway in the city of Taizhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province on Saturday has left 19 people dead and 172 others hospitalized as of Sunday morning, said a local government official at a press conference.

The official said 24 people were severely injured, and treatment has been provided by over 630 healthcare workers and 62 medical experts.

The rescue work is now in full swing, with more than 2,660 rescue workers and 181 rescue machines and vehicles at the scene, said the official.

“No obvious environmental pollution has been found,” the official said, adding that the local environmental protection administration was monitoring the air and water around the site of the accident to prevent secondary pollution.

Noting that the investigation into the accident is underway, the official said that the government will exert all-out efforts to save the injured, give psychological counseling to the victims and their relatives, and screen for hidden risks to nearby buildings.

(Compiled by Xu Kai)