San Antonio,TX : Van carrying gas canisters injures 18 in Shanghai crash on February, Friday 2nd 2018

A minivan hauling gas canisters whose driver ignited his vehicle while smoking plowed into pedestrians near a prominent park and burst into flames in downtown Shanghai on Friday, injuring 18 people in the heart of the Chinese financial hub, local authorities reported.

Police appeared to dismiss fears that the crash was a deliberate attack, describing it as an accident caused when the driver lost control and veered onto the sidewalk.

The 40-year-old driver, whom police identified only by his surname Chen, and two other people suffered serious injuries. Chen works for a Shanghai metals company and had no criminal record but is now under suspicion for transporting dangerous materials, police said.

"It couldn't stop, crashed into the corner and caught fire," said a cleaner who works in a building across the street from the crash site. Like many Chinese, she asked only to be identified by her surname, Xu.

She told The Associated Press she saw smoke coming out of the van as it drove down the street before careening out of control.

Source :
Van carrying gas canisters injures 18 in Shanghai crash