Fireworks Truck Explodes Killing Five In China

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

Five people have been killed after an explosion on a fireworks-laden lorry caused a highway bridge to collapse in central China.

According to state media, the blast occurred on the Yichang Bridge in Henan Province.

Photographs posted on social media showed at least one large truck lying on its side way below the highway. 

Another photograph showed what appears to be a remarkable escape for other drivers with at least one vehicle seen balanced on the edge of the bridge.

Earlier, it was reported that as many as 26 people were killed.

According to a spokesman from Henan Transport Bureau, five to six vehicles fell from the bridge.

Details of exactly what happened are not clear but witnesses say they saw the truck explode and "about 10" cars blown off the bridge by the blast.

The Yichang Bridge forms part of a busy multi-lane highway in central China. Local media reports claim that the south side of the bridge completely collapsed and cracks have appeared on the northern carriageway.

Witnesses say they saw the truck explode and cars blown off the bridge

If the details of the cause are confirmed to be correct, then the incident combines two tragically common themes in China: badly constructed bridges and an abundance of badly regulated fireworks.

Annually, fireworks form a central part of Chinese New Year which this year falls next weekend.

To a far greater extent than in Europe or America, revellers use fireworks to celebrate, sometimes paying little attention to safety.

A spate of accidents over many years have promoted the authorities to impose better controls on the manufacture, transport, sale and use of fireworks.

For a period, fireworks and their transport was banned in Beijing but regular appeals from the public forced officials to relent.

In 2009, the newly-built China Central Television Building in Beijing was gutted by fire. The cause was confirmed to be fireworks set off inside the building.

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