10 detained after 43 die in road inferno

Ten people have been detained over a road accident which triggered a blast that killed at least 43 people, the State Administration of Work Safety said on Monday.

They include company officials who are alleged to have illegally produced and sold hazardous chemical products, a van owner who is said to have illegally modified the vehicle and used it to transport dangerous items, and bus operators accused of turning a blind eye to the drivers' violations.

The accident occurred at around 3am on Saturday on a section of the Shanghai-Kunming Highway in central China's Hunan Province, when a van loaded with 6.5 tons of goods ran into the back of a overloaded long-distance bus.

Ethanol leaked and an explosion occurred, engulfing the van, the bus and three nearby vehicles — a car and two trucks loaded with express deliveries and shoes.

The driver of the van and a passenger and 41 people on the bus were killed.

Six people were taken to hospital. Four are said to be in a critical condition, reported China National Radio.

"It seemed as if an atomic bomb was exploding. Villagers didn't dare try come to rescue them," said Shi Shiping, who lives near the accident site.

Investigators found that the van had been illegally modified to disguise that it was capable of transporting hazardous goods. And the bus, which was only allowed to carry 53 people, was carrying two drivers and 53 passengers, The Beijing News reported.

The bus drivers were also said not to have taken enough breaks and had been on the road for 18 hours after leaving Putian City in Fujian Province.

The bus was also found to have changed passengers with other buses in cities in Fujian and Sichuan provinces, making identifying the dead more difficult.

A manager with the bus operating company, based in Putian, said that the vehicle had been subcontracted to an individual to operate.