BEIJING A vehicle transporting explosives blew up Friday, killing 60 people and injuring 309 in Urumqi, the capital of the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, an area rife with Muslim separatist tension.
The official Xinhua news agency said Saturday the blast was one of the worst in recent Chinese history.
The explosion happened at 7:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) as the vehicle, carrying explosives to be destroyed, was travelling along Xishan road in the western suburbs of Urumqi, according to local officials quoted by Xinhua.
More than 20 vehicles and nearby houses were destroyed in the blast.
A police official confirmed the toll to AFP, but said: "We still don't know exactly how many people were severely injured." Local police, firefighters and medical teams were clearing the spot and rescuing the injured people throughout the night Friday, Xinhua said. By noon Saturday, the scene had been cleared and all the victims taken to hospital.
The cause of the explosion was under investigation. The news agency did not say whether it was suspected to be the work of Muslim separatists in the province.
Mao Zaining, a Xishan police officer, said it was an accidental explosion.
"This has nothing to do whatsoever with Uighur separatists," Mao said.
The blasts coincided with a visit to Urumqi by Premier Zhu Rongji, who is reported by Xinhua to be meeting with former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin there Saturday.