Witnesses of the explosion that killed 20 people in Hunan: 576 kilograms of explosives turned into a mushroom cloud

Witnesses of the explosion that killed 20 people in Hunan: 576 kilograms of explosives turned into a mushroom cloud Editor's note: The Office of the State Council Work Safety Commission issued a notice on the 20th stating that the State Council Work Safety Commission issued a notice on the 19th...

Editor's note: The State Council Work Safety Commission issued a notice on the 20th stating that the highway tunnel explosion accident and the Shandong vehicle rear-end accident that occurred on the 19th had killed 30 people. The State Council Safety Committee has supervised the investigation and handling of the two accidents.

According to the notice, at about 8:30 on May 19, a low-speed truck transporting explosives and detonators exploded in the Bamianshan Tunnel on the 13th contract section of the Yanru (Yanling to Rucheng) Expressway constructed by China Railway Third Bureau Group Fifth Engineering Co., Ltd. in Yanling County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, killing 20 people and injuring 2 people. Mitbbs.com At 0:15 on May 19, a personally owned Changan brand van (accommodating 8 people) carrying 12 construction workers from Qingzhou City, Weifang City, Shandong Province returned to Weifang City. It rear-ended an unlicensed heavy truck from the Weifang Cement Plant of Shandong Shanshui Cement Group Co., Ltd. 500 meters west of the intersection of Yongjun Road, Baotong Street, Weicheng District, Weifang City, killing 10 people and injuring 2 others. Mitbbs.com The Safety Committee Office requires that enterprises must strictly implement their main responsibilities for safety production and further strengthen construction site safety management. In particular, special management measures must be formulated for various transportation vehicles, commuter shuttles, etc. to strengthen daily safety management. It is strictly prohibited to temporarily rent non-operating social vehicles (ships, etc.) for transportation of workers, materials, civil explosives and other production and business activities, and to eliminate violations such as mixed loading of people and goods.

The notice also pointed out that all localities must severely crack down on the operation of motor vehicles without license plates and licenses. It is necessary to strictly implement the inspection regulations for passenger cars with more than 7 seats, strictly check the condition of the vehicle and the qualification of the driver, and understand the main daily use. If the vehicle is in poor condition and the driver is not qualified to operate illegally, it must be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law and the rectification and implementation must be urged. In addition, it is necessary to strictly investigate and deal with accidents and use accident lessons to promote safe production. Mitbbs.com The explosive weight of the explosive vehicle reached 288 kilograms. Mitbbs.com According to the "Beijing Evening News" report, on the morning of the 19th, in the Bamianshan Tunnel of Yanling County, Yanling (Yanling to Rucheng) Expressway, which was under construction in Hunan Province, a vehicle carrying explosives exploded while unloading. According to preliminary investigation, the vehicle contained 288 kilograms of explosives and has killed 20 people and injured 2 others. Mitbbs.com

Incident Report Mitbbs.com The vehicle contained 12 boxes of explosives Mitbbs.com According to Hunan official external notification, at about 8:30 the day before yesterday, a vehicle carrying explosives entered the construction level of a tunnel under construction on the Yanru (Yanling to Rucheng) Expressway and exploded while unloading. Mitbbs.com When reporters arrived at the accident scene early yesterday morning, a cordon had been put up at the entrance of the tunnel. Dong Guobin, spokesperson of the China Railway Third Bureau, the project construction unit, said at the scene that it was initially determined that there were 12 boxes of explosives on the vehicle, each box weighing 24 kilograms. The exact type of explosive was unclear, and the exact location and cause of the explosion are still under investigation. Mitbbs.com

The latest developments Mitbbs.com

The remains of the victims were found in the early morning. Mitbbs.c

At 1 o'clock yesterday morning, Yang Jun, the rescuer who had just come out of the tunnel and the instructor of the Yanling County Fire Squadron, told reporters that the remains of one victim had been found and were confirmed to be male. Previously, rescuers had just conducted six life detections inside the tunnel and found no signs of life. Mitbbs.com At present, the disaster has caused 20 deaths and 2 injuries. Mitbbs.com

Rescue scene Mitbbs.com

It is dark inside the cave and the air quality is poor Mitbbs.com

The reporter learned from the Yanling Fire Squadron of Hunan Province that the day before yesterday, the Yanling Fire Squadron received a call from the local public security bureau requesting assistance in the rescue. They immediately dispatched 12 officers and soldiers on a rescue vehicle and a water tanker to the scene for rescue. After arriving at the explosion site at around 2 p.m., the team immediately entered the tunnel to carry out search and rescue operations. Mitbbs.com

A worker involved in the rescue at the scene said that because the tunnel where the accident occurred has not yet been connected, the accident site was dark and the air quality was very poor, making the rescue very difficult. Mitbbs.com

On-site witness Mitbbs.com

A mushroom cloud emerged from the tunnel entrance Mitbbs.com "The explosion was as loud as thunder, and the smoke coming out of the tunnel entrance was like a mushroom cloud!" Liu Guanxiang, a migrant worker from Yunnan, described the moment of the tunnel explosion to reporters and said, "The noise was so loud that it was scary." Mitbbs.com "I was lifting the steel frame onto the car and preparing to follow the car into the tunnel. Before I could get on the car, I heard several rumbling sounds." Recalling the scene of the explosion, Liu Guanxiang still seemed to be frightened. After taking a few puffs of cigarette, he told reporters, "The explosion sounded several times and lasted for several minutes." "Just after 8 o'clock, I was about to go to work, and I heard several loud noises. The sounds were continuous but occasionally spaced, and each sound lasted about 2 seconds." Hu Gu'an, a migrant worker from Hunan, told reporters that they wanted to save people as soon as the explosion occurred, but "a large amount of dust and smoke came out of the tunnel entrance, a bit like a mushroom cloud, which made people cry and couldn't go in."