Shanxi road accident death toll rises to 31

The death toll from a truck collision and resulting explosion in north China's Shanxi Province on March 1 has risen to 31 with nine others still missing, authorities said on Thursday. The accident happened at 2:50 p.m., when two tankers loaded with methanol, a poisonous and flammable liquid often used as a fuel, rear-ended inside the Yanhou Tunnel of a highway linking Shanxi's Jincheng City and Jiyuan City in Henan Province. Police investigating the site later said the explosion damaged 42 vehicles in the tunnel, making it difficult to confirm the number of deaths. The death toll was updated at a meeting in Jincheng City held by an investigation group sent by China's State Council.