MEXICO CITY - The death toll from an explosion involving a tanker truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Mexico's capital has climbed to 22, the city's Health Ministry said.
The tragedy has sparked widespread anger and drawn renewed attention to safety conditions on Mexico's highways, prompting calls for tighter oversight of hazardous cargo transport and road maintenance.
The fatalities have been steadily rising since Wednesday last week, when the truck burst into flames and exploded while traveling on a busy highway in Iztapalapa, Mexico City's most populous borough.
"Regarding the Iztapalapa incident, we can confirm that 25 people remain hospitalized, 37 have been discharged, and tragically, 22 people have died," Mexico City Health Ministry reported late Thursday.
The driver passed away this week.A two-year-old girl remains among the injured and was transferred last week to a U.S. hospital in Galveston, Texas.
Initial investigations by city authorities suggested that the driver's excessive speed and lack of skill caused the accident. Probes are ongoing.
The truck, carrying around 50,000 liters of LPG,overturned and crashed into retaining walls. A rupture allowed gas to escape, leading to a massive explosion and a fire that engulfed about 30 vehicles.
(Reporting by Diego Ore; Editing by Richard Chang)
