Tunnel fire in Linhai kills five

Five people have died with another 14 seriously injured in a tunnel fire in Linhai, Taizhou in central Zhejiang Tuesday night.

The fire, caused by a combustion of a heavy truck in the middle of the Maoliling  tunnel at around 6:30 pm, released heavy smoke that filled the 3.7-kilometer-long tunnel, trapping passing vehicles.

Traffic police soon arrived to release people from the tunnel, sending 36 to nearby hospitals, among which five died. The remaining patients are being monitored closely as the death toll may rise, with 14 seriously injured and 17 lightly injured.

Police are still investigating the accident, following a key lead that the fire may have been caused by the direct combustion of the truck's tires, the local Linhai authorities said on Wednesday.

The truck driver, surnamed Qin, is currently detained by the police.