Smoke rising from the scene of a gas truck explosion in Santiago, Chile, on Feb. 19, 2026.Credit :
AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
A fiery crash on a highway in Chile killed four people and injured 17 others on Thursday, Feb. 19
The incident is believed to have occurred when the driver of a truck carrying liquified gas allegedly lost control and crashed into the guardrails
"There were people literally naked, on fire," said witness Yaritza León
At least four people have died and 17 others remain hospitalized following a fiery crash on a highway in Chile.
At around 8:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Feb. 19, a truck transporting liquefied gas crashed into the guardrails at the intersection of General Velásquez Avenue and Route 5 North in the Renca district after the driver allegedly lost control, La Nacion reported, citing General Víctor Vielma, Director of Traffic, Highways, and Road Safety for the Carabineros.
Multiple cars were damaged in the incident, while the fireball generated from the gas also spread to nearby buildings, according to the outlet.
The truck driver is among the four people confirmed dead, according to local news outlet La Tercera. There are at least 17 other people receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
Firefighters at the site of the gas truck explosion in Chile.
Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu via Getty
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Footage shared by the Governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Claudio Orrego, on Facebook shows motorists leaving their vehicles as thick clouds of smoke filled the air following the collision.
"One has burns covering 100% of their body with imminent risk to their life," said Orrego of the wounded victims, per Reuters.
The explosion from the crash was felt within a radius of about 150 to 200 meters, the outlet reported, citing firefighters.
“We went outside, looked north, and there was a column of smoke,” Yaritza León, who lived in a property nearby, told La Tercera. “We went over there, and people were walking naked, and others were on fire, begging us to call an ambulance because they were all burned. There were people literally naked, on fire.”
Firefighters at the scene of the gas truck explosion.
Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu via Getty
“My partner went one way and I went another; there were people everywhere because of the magnitude of the explosion,” she continued. “All the neighbors came out to help until the SAMU (Emergency Medical Service) arrived, and seven people were taken away in an ambulance. One of them was a woman who had been riding a motorcycle on the road with her husband and was looking for him after the explosion.”
At least 50 vehicles were damaged due to the explosion, according to Reuters. The tanker carrying the liquified gas was allegedly affiliated with the local gas company Gasco.
“I saw how it started: like an atomic bomb, that's what it was like,” witness Juan Molina told La Tercera. “You could see the manhole covers, which were stuck together, were lifted up and popped out. The flame reached my corral at the back, and when I saw the fire coming closer, I ran inside to warn my people to get out."
“And when I got outside, the flame shot up about a kilometer, really strong.”
Gasco did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding the incident.
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