Hangzhou City gas truck explosion
© ChinaFotoPress via Getty ImagesExplosion: Blast in Hangzhou City was said to be caused by a truck which carried gas bottles and exploded
A large vehicle carrying gas tanks caught fire and exploded near two factories in Yuhang District, Hangzhou city, east China, setting them both on fire.

The blast occurred around 7.05pm local time (11.05am GMT) on January 14, and firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene, reports the People's Daily Online.

So far one person has been reported to have died in the incident. The huge explosion which engulfed an area of 21,500 square feet was captured on camera by nearby villagers.

The lorry was at the Junction of Liangzhu Street and Tongyun Road, when it caught fire, causing the gas tanks to explode.

According to the Hangzhou fire department, the vehicle set fire to two nearby factories, causing more explosions.

Chinese media reports that 29 fire engines were deployed to the blast site to fight the blaze.

According to the report, witnesses in the area described a 'car bomb' igniting a factory called 'Winfoong Machinery,' but this is yet to be confirmed.

Many people said they heard the sound of the explosion and felt the vibrations from inside their homes, miles from the blast site.


The fire was quickly under control and all of the workers inside the factory managed to escape, except one man who was found inside the building - he later died in hospital.

An amateur video taken of the blast shows huge red and orange flames bursting hundreds of feet into the air.

A few moments later, there is a second blast followed by dense black smoke.

A local resident said: 'From the beginning to the end I heard more than ten explosions.

'At the beginning it wasn't very loud. I just thought it was fireworks. Then the noise got louder and louder and there was an explosion every few seconds.'

The women believes she heard over 20 explosions.

She added: 'The sound of the explosion became louder and louder, I got scared and my child started crying. I left everything and ran out with my child.'

There has been no official confirmations of how many explosions occurred during the incident.

Local authorities in the area held a press conference today to confirm they tested the area of the blast site, and there was no abnormal smells or poisonous gases in the air.

China has seen several serious factory explosions over recent years. The most serious being in Tianjin on August 12 in a warehouse storing toxic waste.

Nearly 200 people died and over 700 were injured in the blast that led to hundreds of families fleeing their homes, amid fears a cocktail of deadly chemicals had been spewed into the atmosphere.