- 4 people were killed when a truck transporting liquid gas in Chile's capital overturned and exploded
- Seventeen others were injured in the accident in Santiago
- Videos on social media showed flames pluming at the site of the explosion
At least four people were killed when a truck transporting liquid gas in Chile's capital Santiago overturned and exploded, authorities said on Thursday.
Another 17 people were injured, a police chief told reporters at a press conference, saying the driver of the truck had lost control and crashed.
Authorities said the truck driver was among those who died in the incident.
The prosecutor's office is investigating what led up to the accident. The truck was affiliated with local gas company Gasco.
Gasco did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Videos on social media showed flames pluming at the site of the explosion. The accident happened in the northern Santiago commune of Renca, near a major highway and an industrial area.
Tragična nesreča v Čilu 🇨🇱, eksplozija vlačilca cisterne z utekočinjenim plinom.https://t.co/gUc7whnesw pic.twitter.com/mSb1pX9TvV
— Schall_abweiser0002 (@Schallabweiser2) February 20, 2026
The explosion was felt within a radius of about 150 to 200 meters and damaged at least 50 vehicles, according to firefighters.
President Gabriel Boric said some debris flew into three businesses, but so far there were no reports of further widespread damage.
Five people were reportedly in serious condition, according to Claudio Orrego, the governor of the Santiago metropolitan region.
Tragična nesreča v Čilu 🇨🇱, eksplozija vlačilca cisterne z utekočinjenim plinom.https://t.co/gUc7whnesw pic.twitter.com/mSb1pX9TvV
— Schall_abweiser0002 (@Schallabweiser2) February 20, 2026
"One has burns covering 100% of their body with imminent risk to their life," Orrego said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world