MEXICO CITY, Mexico: Mexico City Mayor, Clara Brugada, on Wednesday said that three people were killed and at least 70 injured when a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker exploded in the capital city, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
The tanker, which had a capacity of 49,500 litres, tipped over under a motorway overpass in the borough of Iztapalapa before exploding, local authorities said.
Brugada posted a “preliminary” list of 70 people receiving treatment in various hospitals. Nineteen people sustained serious injuries.
According to official reports, the tanker driver was also seriously injured in hospital. Children were among the injured, including at least one baby.
Brugada spoke of 18 vehicles damaged, saying that the vehicle that exploded belonged to Gas Silza, a subsidiary of the Tomza Group – the largest LPG distribution conglomerate in Mexico.
The Attorney General’s Office has started an investigation into the exact causes of the accident.
Pictures and videos circulating on social media showed dramatic scenes, including people who suffered burns in tattered clothing and screaming passersby running away after the explosion. – BERNAMA-dpa
