Fireworks cause deadly highway collapse in China
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A truck stops near a section of a partially collapsed expressway bridge on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province, on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after a expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A crane lifts a container from a truck as rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Rescuers carry a victim out of the wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP
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In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at the accident site where an expressway bridge partially collapsed due to a truck explosion in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia, central China's Henan Province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP/XINHUA
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In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at the accident site where an expressway bridge partially collapsed due to a truck explosion in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia, central China's Henan Province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP/XINHUA
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Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A truck stops near a section of a partially collapsed expressway bridge on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province, on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after a expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A crane lifts a container from a truck as rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Rescuers carry a victim out of the wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at the accident site where an expressway bridge partially collapsed due to a truck explosion in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia, central China's Henan Province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP/XINHUA
In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers work at the accident site where an expressway bridge partially collapsed due to a truck explosion in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia, central China's Henan Province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: AP/XINHUA
Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Rescuers look for survivors near a wreckage of vehicles after an expressway bridge partially collapsed on the Lianhuo highway in Mianchi county, Henan province on Friday, Feb 1, 2013. Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING (AP) – Fireworks for Lunar New Year celebrations exploded on a truck in central China, destroying part of an elevated highway on Friday and sending vehicles plummeting 30m to the ground.
State media had conflicting reports on casualties.
The huge blast collapsed an 80-meter stretch of a major east-west highway in Mianchi county in Henan Province.
It scattered blackened chunks of debris and shattered the windows of a nearby truck stop. There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion.
