Mexico gas tanker truck blast kills 24
10 May 2013
On May 7 a gas tanker exploded on a road north of Mexico City starting fires that killed at least 24 people and injured at least 36. The blast rocked the suburb of Ecatepec damaging some 15 cars and 40 homes, officials said. Ten children were among the dead and eight more were wounded.
One of the tanker's two containers came loose and fell on the community below, said Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, while the other was still attached to the tractor unit and was emptied by emergency services to ensure it did not explode as well.
Officials are investigating the cause of the accident.
More than 24,000 people die in road accidents in Mexico each year, according to official figures, and experts have warned of the dangers posed by trucks carrying hazardous materials.
Trucks carrying dangerous substances were involved in almost 1,200 collisions between 2006 and 2009, killing 196 people and injuring 838 others, according to a study by the state-affiliated Mexican Transport Institute.