On the afternoon of August 10th, a gas tank truck caught fire near the entrance of the Fuercliff Tunnel on the Linfen section of the Qinglan Expressway in Shanxi Province, triggering a violent explosion. Flames soared into the sky and debris scattered around.
A viral video showed thick smoke billowing at the scene, reaching tens of meters high. After the fire was extinguished, the front of the gas tank truck was destroyed by the explosion, leaving only a metal frame.
On August 11th, an eyewitness told the financial sector that the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on the 10th. The explosion was caused by a tire catching fire while the gas tank truck was in motion. The driver of the truck promptly evacuated without any casualties as other vehicles behind honked to warn of the fire.
According to a witness Ms. Han, speaking to “Urban Scene,” she was out for a trip with her family and her brother’s children, a group of seven people in total. They noticed several vehicles ahead urgently evacuating the area. Following suit, they quickly retreated. Shortly after they got out, they heard three consecutive explosions behind them. The vehicle involved was found with its front completely destroyed. She described feeling weak in the legs and fearful thinking back on the ordeal.
As reported by People’s Concern, the fire was soon extinguished, and traffic conditions returned to normal shortly after.