Gasoline Truck Blast in Bronx Kills Five

A loaded gasoline tanker overturned and exploded after colliding with a car Monday, killing five people and unleashing a river of blazing fuel that destroyed 10 stores, a fire official said.

The explosion shortly after midnight sent flames 100 feet into the air, and burning fuel ran down gutters along one of the Bronx borough’s busier thoroughfares.

The truck driver and the four occupants of the car were killed, authorities said. One firefighter was injured.

The vehicles collided in an intersection and the car slammed into one of the buildings, officials said. The truck followed, tumbled over on its side, pinning the car against the building. The building then collapsed and the tanker exploded, officials said.