Society

2 killed in expressway tunnel blast in NW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-08 08:59

LANZHOU - Rescuers pulled out two bodies from an expressway tunnel inferno after a traffic accident caused two tank trucks to blast early Friday morning in northwest China's Gansu Province.

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The tunnel was seen shrouded in the vapor as nearly 10 fire engines shot water columns towards the raging fire.

The rescue work was hard due to "very high temperature," said the rescuers, who believed more people were likely to be trapped inside the tunnel.

Altogether three vehicles, including two tank trucks and one cargo van were mangled due to the blast and the ensuing fire, which also damaged the tunnel facilities and led to the closure of the expressway.

The blast occurred at around 3:50 am Friday in a tunnel on the expressway linking Gansu's capital city of Lanzhou and Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture.

Witnesses said the blast occurred after the two tank trucks smashed together.