Four people were killed and at least six others were injured after a truck fully-loaded with gunpowder exploded Saturday in central China's Hubei Province.
The accident happened at about 00:20 am at a section of the Beijing-Zhuhai Highway in Xiaogan City of Hubei. Four died and six were injured, including one seriously, at the scene, a Xiaogan municipal government spokesman said.
The truck was heading for northern Hebei Province, carrying five tonnes of gunpowder from a firework material factory in Liuyang City of central China's Hunan Province.
The gunpowder was transported to a fireworks manufacturing factory in Haixing County of Hebei ahead of the Spring Festivals, police said.
Firing up fireworks, very jolly but sometimes heavily fatal, has always been part of the Chinese tradition in the Spring Festival and other celebrations. The CCTV torched its new futuristic building when displaying fireworks earlier this year.
The highway explosion destroyed three vehicles nearby and seriously damaged the road surface.
"The blast cut the road up to 10 meters long and one meter deep. More than 700 square meters of road surface were blown up," said Zhang Liang, an official with the Hubei Beijing-Zhuhai Highway Administration Office.
It also cracked up more than 2,000 houses in a nearby village and injured at least 29 villagers, he said.
Windows of 60-year-old Xiao Damao's home at the Tudian Village were smashed.
More than 70 percent of rooms of the 30 households at the No.2 Team of Yuegang Village had cracks and four houses were too dangerous to live in. Many residents were injured by outbursting glasses.
All the injured, including a pregnant woman, have been sent to hospital.
Roof of a pig farm at Yuegang Village collapsed in the powerful blast and two pigs were killed.
The Nanxiao District government offered 100,000 yuan (about $14,700) for medical treatment and relocation for the villagers.
Two drivers, Liu Oushan and Wu Yueping, and owner of the gunpowder Zhang Pingyuan had been detained and the cause of the accident was being investigated, police said.
Recalling what had happened, cargo owner Zhang said, driver Liu first cried out "the right rear tire is on fire!" Then they stopped, abandoned the truck and ran away. The three were slightly injured.
The highway traffic was suspended after the accident and resumed four hours later.