A truck loaded with liquid gas lost control on a highway in Renca, in northwest Santiago, on February 19, 2026, and slammed into the barriers. It burst into flames. A thick column of smoke and a huge fireball rose over the Chilean capital, visible from many different parts of the city.
CNN en Español reported that day that the truck damaged seven cars and that at least four people had died. President Gabriel Boric, who was on an official visit to Rapa Nui, told a press conference: “A truck exploded and we have confirmed four dead so far.” He later wrote on X, “My solidarity and condolences to the families and loved ones of those who sadly died in this tragedy, and a lot of strength to the injured.”
The fire was still burning when Gen. Víctor Vielma, the Carabineros director of traffic, highways and road safety, spoke to reporters. He said the flames had also reached vehicles inside an adjoining compound and damaged a dome in the area. Firefighters were fighting the blaze. Authorities counted at least ten injured at that stage, and traffic cuts were put in place around the site.
The toll climbs
Six days later the number was much worse. On February 25, Xinhua reported that Chile’s Health Ministry, through its undersecretariat for care networks, had confirmed a twelfth death. “We regret to report the death of a patient due to the seriousness of their injuries,” the ministry said in a statement.
Nine people were still in hospital, in both public and private facilities. Five of them were stable but remained at risk of dying.
Xinhua said the truck exploded in the middle of the road, apparently because of a leak. That detail is still under investigation by the authorities. Nothing in the reports published so far says what caused the truck to leave its lane in the first place.
Sources
- Explosión de camión con gas líquido deja al menos cuatro muertos en Chile (CNN en Español, Cristopher Ulloa)
- Asciende a 12 cifra de fallecidos por explosión de camión con gas en Santiago de Chile (Xinhua, Spanish edition)
