At least 4 dead, 90 injured in massive gas tanker explosion in Mexico City; probe underway

Many of the injured suffered second- and third-degree burns, with some listed as having injuries covering up to 100 per cent of their bodies. Among those affected were a baby and a two-year-old child.

By: Express Web Desk

Updated: September 11, 2025 02:18 PM IST

2 min read

Firefighters spray hoses at a gas tanker that exploded under a highway overpass in Mexico City. (AP photo)

Mexican authorities are investigating a crash in which a tanker lorry, carrying more than 13,000 gallons (49,500 litres) of petrol, exploded on a major highway in Mexico City on Wednesday, killing at least four people and injuring 90, AP reported.

The fiery accident destroyed more than two dozen vehicles, leaving a scene of badly burned survivors staggering in the street. Many of the injured suffered second- and third-degree burns, with some listed as having injuries covering up to 100 per cent of their bodies. Among those affected were a baby and a two-year-old child.

As emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, local residents helped pull out burn victims from the flames. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada described it as “a horrible accident”, reported AP.

President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to the families of the victims in a post on X and thanked emergency teams for their work. Officials later confirmed that firefighters had brought the blaze under control, and the highway was reopened by evening.

A firefighter sprays a hose after a gas tanker exploded in Mexico City. (AP photo)

The explosion took place on the highway connecting Mexico City to Puebla, in the densely populated borough of Iztapalapa. Flames and smoke forced bystanders to flee in panic, while authorities worked to secure the area.

Company under scrutiny

The overturned tanker bore the logo of energy company Silza.

However, a company official told AP that it was not their vehicle, and Silza did not immediately respond to further requests for comment. Later, Mexico’s federal agency regulating industrial safety in the hydrocarbon sector said Silza did not have updated insurance required for transporting gas.

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The crash has renewed attention on Mexico’s thousands of lorries that transport liquid propane daily, which most homes and businesses rely on for cooking and heating water. While Wednesday’s accident involved a large tanker, smaller delivery lorries have also been involved in deadly incidents over the past decade, including a 2020 double-tanker crash in Nayarit that killed 13, and a 2015 propane leak at a Mexico City maternity hospital that killed five.

(With inputs from AP)

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