7 dead in central China gas tanker fire

The death toll in a gas tanker fire that occurred Thursday in central China's Henan Province has risen to seven, local authorities said Monday.

A tanker truck slammed into a residential building and caught fire Thursday night in Xixia County in the city of Nanyang, according to the county government.

The tanker, loaded with liquified gas, collided with a truck while attempting to pass the vehicle. It then veered off the road and slammed into the two-story building.

The fire took 21 hours to extinguish.

Rescuers recovered three bodies, as well as rescued two injured people, during search and rescue operations Thursday night.

Another four bodies have been retrieved since then, the county government said in a statement.

An investigation into the accident is still under way.