Three Mongolian firefighters died in fire caused by gas explosion

Three firefighters died while trying to quell a rapidly spreading fire after a truck with 60 tons of liquefied natural gas crashed in the Mongolian capital.

The National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement on its website that three of its employees lost their lives, and 10 citizens were injured in the fireball in Ulaanbaatar in the early hours of Wednesday.

More than 600 firefighters in 100 vehicles were needed to put out the fire. A preliminary assessment suggested the truck crashed into a small car, sparking the explosion before a second blast ripped off part of the truck and killed the firefighters at the scene. The fire quickly engulfed several nearby buildings, including a residential building.