Gas tanker crash causes explosion that injured 90, killed 4 in Mexico City

A crash involving a gas tanker truck injured 90 people and killed three in Mexico City on Wednesday afternoon. 

The incident happened on September 10th, under a highway overpass in the Izpalapa neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico. 

According to New York Times, the gas tanker truck overturned beneath the overpass, causing a gas leak that prompted the explosion. After the massive explosion, a shockwave damaged 32 additional vehicles. 

The explosion injured 90 people, many with severe burns and some in critical condition. Four people were killed in the accident. The truck driver was among the people hurt in the explosion. “He is still alive but in serious condition,” said Mexico City security minister Pablo Vázquez Camacho. 

Firefighters fought the flames for hours, and were eventually able to burn off all of the remaining fuel and remove the truck from the scene without further incident. 

The trucking company in the incident, Transportadora Silza, initially denied their involvement in the crash, but has since stated that it will take “our social and legal responsibility for what has happened very seriously.”

Al Jazeera reports that Silza did not possess the correct insurance to haul gas at the time of the accident because their application had been denied. No further information has been released.