Official accident death toll rises to 13

The government of Central China’s Henan province updated the death toll of a traffic accident from 10 to 13 on Wednesday, after it was accused of hiding the truth by a news report.

On the morning of Feb 1, a truck loaded with 9 tons of fireworks exploded and blasted off a 30-meter-high bridge on a highway in Sanmenxia city. The local government said 10 people died and released the names of the deceased on Feb 4.

Shi Yanfei, the truck driver, is believed to have died because the truck was completely destroyed. But he was not included in the initial list, according to a report of the Beijing News.

The government responded to the accusations on Wednesday afternoon, by updating the death toll to 13, including the truck driver and two other people who had been traveling in the truck.

The government said three people’s bodies were destroyed because of the power of the explosion, and it took time for the government to identify them, which is why they were not included in the initial list of the dead.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn