Several people are dead after a gas tanker overturned and exploded in a massive fire in South America.
Chilling video captured the moment a highway in Santiago, Chile, was engulfed in a thunderous gas cloud on Thursday.
A truck transporting liquid gas flipped over, erupting in a fiery explosion that killed four people, including the driver, and injured 17 others, according to local police.
Videos on social media showed flames billowing at the explosion site, as a gray, smoke-like gas cloud spread across the highway within seconds.
Motorists are seen in the video frantically attempting to make U-turns or reverse to avoid the rapidly spreading fumes.
After just 30 seconds, the entire roadway was engulfed, with the footage fading to a wall of gray.
The devastating accident unfolded in the northern Santiago commune of Renca, near a major highway and an industrial area.
The tanker belonged to Gasco, a local gas company in Chile, and an investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the crash.
A truck transporting liquid gas overturns and explodes in Santiago, Chile, spreading a smoke-like gas cloud across a highway in Renca
Firefighters and first responders work at the site of the deadly explosion, spraying water in an attempt to extinguish the flames
A car dealership affected during a gas truck explosion, it was one of the businesses affected by widespread damage
The explosion was felt within a radius of about 150 to 200 meters, roughly 500 to 650 feet, and obliterated at least 50 cars, according to firefighters.
Debris was scattered into three local businesses, but according to President Gabriel Boric, no other damage was reported.
Claudio Orrego, the governor of the Santiago metropolitan region, noted that five people were in critical condition.
‘One has burns covering 100 percent of their body with imminent risk to their life,’ Orrego said.
More social media videos and photos showed different angles of the blast and the aftermath, including first responders extinguishing the flames.
Tributes poured in on X, with people sending prayers and condolences to the victims and their families following the devastating incident.
‘Hoping the injured recover quickly,’ one user wrote.
‘Incidents involving hazardous materials are always terrifying gratitude to the first responders handling such a dangerous scene.’
White gas cloud rising from the site of the fiery destruction that killed at least four people and left dozens injured
More photos of members of the Chilean Fire Department containing the fire caused by the gas explosion
The truck driver was one of the victims killed in the explosion, and police say the investigation is ongoing
‘Heartbreaking news out of Santiago. Prayers for the victims and their families. May those who were injured recover quickly,’ another wrote.
This horrific incident comes just a month after mid-January 2026, when 18 people were killed and 50,000 evacuated as rampant wildfires swept through Chile.
Fourteen blazes have ripped across 21,000 acres for two days in the Nuble and Biobio regions – about 300 miles south of Santiago.
President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency at the time as nearly 4,000 firefighters battled the flames being whipped up by gusting winds and hot weather.
