Six killed in Mongolia gas explosion

Firefighters work at the scene of an explosion from a vehicle crash in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia that left six people dead – Copyright AFP B. ALTJIN

Anand Tumurtogoo

Six people were killed and over a dozen injured in Mongolia’s capital Wednesday after a truck carrying gas collided with a car, causing a huge explosion that sent flames soaring into the night sky.

The incident took place in the early morning hours in Ulaanbaatar’s eastern Bayanzurkh district, and involved a truck carrying 60 tons of liquified natural gas (LNG), the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

“According to preliminary results, three people died in the fire,” NEMA said on its website, adding three firefighters had also been killed.

Fourteen people were injured, with ten taken for treatment for burns, while one child was being treated for poisoning and three other infants were being cared for, it added.

The preliminary investigation showed the LNG truck had made a sharp turn on a crossroad, hitting the car, NEMA head General G. Ariunbuyan said.

“As a result, gas leaked out causing the explosion,” he said.

An AFP journalist on the scene saw the remains of the truck with little left but twisted metal.

The windows in a nearby apartment block and school were blown out, and a number of parked cars were turned into burnt-out husks.

The early morning explosion sparked a blaze inside one building, pictures showed.

And 80 residents of a nearby apartment block have been temporarily relocated, NEMA said. 

One person told AFP he had been forced to flee his home when his apartment was engulfed with flames.

“This shows city planning is really bad,” Ankhbayar Galbadrakh — whose car was also destroyed in the blast — told AFP.

“All of these trucks — with gas or without gas — should travel outside of the city limit,” he said.

Roads around the area were closed as authorities worked to clean up debris.

– ‘Tragic’ –

At a press conference Wednesday, NEMA head Ariunbuyan said authorities had “worked tirelessly” to fight the fire. 

US Ambassador to Mongolia Richard Buangan said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the tragic accident”.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and colleagues of the NEMA staff members who lost their lives in this devastating event,” he said in a post on social media platform X.

The EU’s ambassador to Mongolia, Axelle Nicaise, also said she was “shocked and devastated” by the accident.