10 dead, 117 injured in China oil truck blast

BEIJING: At least 10 people were killed and more than a hundred injured after an oil tanker truck exploded on a highway in China on Saturday, state media said.

The force of the blast caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, the government said on social media, and sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed several cars.

Dramatic video footage of the accident near Wenling city in the eastern province of Zhejiang published by state media showed a huge ball of fire shooting into the air as people screamed.

In one clip, a large piece of debris is seen flying into the air before crashing onto some nearby buildings.

Another video shows the remains of the tanker and several truck tyres smashed into a building which had been reduced to rubble.

The death toll had reached 10 by Saturday evening with another 117 injured taken to hospital, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Emergency responders were still battling to free trapped victims, it added.

Multiple highway exits were closed, according to local police statements.

Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or not enforced.

According to authorities 58,000 people were killed in accidents across the country in 2015 alone, the last available figures.

Violations of traffic laws were blamed for nearly 90 percent of accidents that caused deaths or injuries that year.

Last year at least 36 people died and 36 others were injured in eastern China when a packed coach with a flat tyre collided with a truck.