On the morning of January 22nd, in Enyang District, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, a dump truck suspected of losing control collided with a white car in front of it, causing a chain reaction crash involving multiple vehicles. Following the incident, the injured were rushed to several hospitals for treatment, and the specific number of casualties is currently unknown.
A video circulating online shows several vehicles moving slowly, presumably waiting at a traffic light. Suddenly, a large dump truck carrying debris in the right lane rapidly crashed into the white car ahead, leading to a series of collisions involving multiple vehicles.
In the video, several vehicles were strewn haphazardly at the scene, some severely deformed, with some even catching fire, causing thick black smoke to billow up at the scene.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, witnesses mentioned that the section where the incident occurred was a downhill road, a vital traffic artery that has now been closed off. One netizen stated, “We still don’t know the casualty figures yet, but it might not be small. Over a dozen cars were hit, and some caught fire. What’s worse is that some of the burning cars had people who hadn’t managed to get out before being engulfed in flames.”
Another netizen claimed, “I saw someone seemed to be trapped inside and burned to death.”
Regarding the cause of the accident, some netizens analyzed, “Judging by the apparent speed, it could be a braking issue, coupled with the fact that dump trucks usually exceed weight limits, estimating a minimum of 60 tons on board. The impact was significant. Some dump trucks here operate illegally, and the drivers are very daring, bypassing traffic police and road authorities, ignoring their checkpoints.” However, others pointed out, “If the brake lights of the truck weren’t on, how did it lose control?”
As per the police report, at 11:40 am on the 22nd, a collision occurred between a heavy-duty dump truck from Dayou Logistics Co., Ltd. in Dazhou City and the vehicles waiting for the traffic lights, resulting in 4 on-site deaths, 1 death during the rescue process, 1 seriously injured person, and 12 vehicles sustaining various degrees of damage. The driver responsible, Jiang Mou Dong (33 years old), has been apprehended by the police.
Yet, the staff at the People’s Hospital of Enyang District in Bazhong City responded to the Huashang Daily Dafeng News claiming that their ambulances transported more than ten injured individuals, with the hospital mobilizing all efforts for treatment post-incident. Workers at the Enyang District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital mentioned that they received 5 injured patients, all of whom are currently out of danger. A local friendly hospital stated that they are still engaged in emergency rescue operations, with specific data being compiled.