Rescuers clean the accident site of a truck collision and explosion on the highway linking cities of Zhangjiakou and Shijiazhuang in Laiyuan, north China's Hebei Province, May 23, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhu Xudong)
Twelve people were killed and 15 others injured in a truck collision in north China's Hebei Province Tuesday morning, local authorities said.
The accident happened at around 6:20 a.m., when an oil tanker rear-ended a coal truck in a tunnel of the highway linking cities of Zhangjiakou and Shijiazhuang, according to the government of Laiyuan County.
The collision caused an explosion and fire, killing 12 and injuring three on the site. Another 12 people were slightly injured when the explosion damaged their homes nearby.
Further investigation and response work are underway.