Seven killed, hundreds injured after trucks explode in southwestern China

[News_Editor]

Seven killed, hundreds injured after trucks explode in southwestern China

2011-11-02 00:39:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

CLAMIS, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least seven people were killed on late Tuesday morning when two cargo trucks exploded near a motor vehicle testing station in southwestern China, officials said. Hundreds more were injured.

The accident happened at around 11:30 a.m. local time in the city of Fuquan when two cargo trucks carrying about 70 metric tons (154 pounds) of explosives exploded near the station. Fuquan is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Guiyang, the capital of China's Guizhou Province.

Local officials told the state-run Xinhua news agency that at least seven people had been killed while around 200 others were injured. Police and emergency teams rushed to the scene and transported the 200 people to hospitals throughout the region. Around 20 people were believed to be in a critical condition.

The powerful explosion damaged several nearby houses and parked vehicles, Xinhua said. A grain warehouse and a neighboring five-story residential building was also severely damaged while the motor vehicle testing station was practically destroyed.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

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