18 hurt after smoker ignites gas in van and crashes
SHANGHAI: A minivan carrying gas canisters ploughed into pedestrians near a prominent park in downtown Shanghai, injuring 18 people, local authorities reported.
Shanghai police said the crash was caused by a 40-year old man surnamed Chen, who was smoking inside the van, accidentally igniting the gas he was transporting. Police appeared to dismiss fears the crash could have been an attack in the heart of the Chinese financial hub.
The driver and two other people suffered serious injuries in the crash.
The driver works for a Shanghai metals company and had no criminal record but was now under suspicion of transporting dangerous materials, police said.
The minivan, registered in the southern province of Jiangxi, veered onto a sidewalk and burst into flames around 9am near People’s Park, authorities said.
The vast city centre plaza is also home to the headquarters of the Shanghai municipal government, which oversees a metropolis of almost 25 million people that is widely regarded as China’s most cosmopolitan city.
The website of the local Xinmin Wanbao newspaper and other local news outlets said the van struck five to six people waiting for a light change at a busy pedestrian crossing.
Videos on social media showed injured people lying on the pavement next to a Starbucks cafe and others pinned under the tires of the van.
Firefighters were seen trying to put out a blaze inside the vehicle.
A cleaner surnamed Xu said she saw smoke coming out of the van as it drove down the street before veering out of control.
“It couldn’t stop, crashed into the corner and caught fire,” said Xu, who works in a building across the street from the crash site.
“Two men were trying to pull the passenger out of the car, but failed. Other people told them to stop. Then the police and ambulance arrived.”
The Shanghai-based news outlet Pengpai, citing a witness, reported the vehicle was carrying six people and several canisters of gas typically used for cooking and heating.
Police officers stood guard yesterday afternoon outside the emergency room at the Changzheng Hospital in central Shanghai, where a nurse said the injured were receiving treatment. — AP