British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip, visit Yu Yuan Garden in Shanghai, China, Feb. 2, 2018. May is in China to boost economic ties post Brexit.
Shanghai Police: Van Crash, Explosion Likely Accident
SHANGHAI —
Shanghai police say a minivan crash downtown is believed to be an accident and not an attack. The driver was smoking while transporting gas tanks through the heart of the Chinese financial hub, they said.
Eighteen people were sent to hospitals for treatment after the Friday morning crash, with three reported to be seriously injured.
The city government said the van veered onto a sidewalk and burst into flames around 9 a.m. near People’s Park.
Local media reported the vehicle was carrying six people and several tanks of gas.
In this image taken from cellphone video provided to the Associated Press, a man tends to an injured person after a minivan carrying gas tanks plowed into pedestrians along a street in Shanghai, Feb. 2, 2018. More than a dozen people were sent to hospitals.
Videos on social media showed injured people lying on the pavement next to a Starbucks cafe.
The crash comes as British Prime Minister Theresa May is scheduled to speak in Shanghai.
