Beijing (AsiaNews) - At least 26 people were killed this morning in the collapse of an elevated highway in the province of Henan, caused by the explosion of a truck carrying fireworks for the upcoming Chinese New Year. The blast brought down dozens of vehicles, including other trucks from a height of 30 meters. At the moment there are 15 injured, who have already been transferred to nearby hospitals, but rescuers hope to find survivors trapped in the cockpits of fallen trucks.
The explosion destroyed a 80 meters of Lianhuo highway that runs through the central China from east to west. Witnesses posted pictures of the scene of micro blogging sites, showing the devastation caused by the explosion. In one photo you can see a truck still hanging in balance, over the edge of the highway.
In China, fireworks are an important part of the celebrations of the Lunar New Year, which falls on 10 February, and every year explosions and similar incidents occur.
Even the traffic and highway accidents are frequent: as reported by the official Xinhua news agency, in 2011 more than 60 thousand people died on the roads in China. Among the causes are often cited the inadequacy of the vehicle or the carelessness of the drivers, but also the quality of the transport network which is very poor.
