Society

Expressway tunnel blast kills 4 in NW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-08 11:30

Fire fighters spray water to a tank truck after?two tank trucks?smashed together and triggered a blast in a tunnel on the expressway linking Gansu's capital city of Lanzhou and Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, April 8, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

LANZHOU - Rescuers retrieved another two bodies from a Northwest China's expressway tunnel, driving up the death toll to four in a traffic accident that caused a blast and a fire early Friday morning, local authorities said.

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The blaze in the tunnel has been doused, and rescuers are searching for other possible victims, said the local traffic police in a statement.

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, after two tank trucks smashed together, said the statement.