Tragic Suffocation Incident in Refrigerated Truck in China: 8 People Dead
Late on the night of June 16th, authorities in Ye County, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, China, reported a severe incident. Around 10 PM on June 15th, a light refrigerated truck with the license plate Henan DJ103F illegally transported people to Hong Zhuangyang Town, Ye County. The truck driver discovered that eight people inside the truck had suffocated and lost consciousness. He immediately called emergency services (120) for assistance. Unfortunately, by 3 AM on June 16th, all eight victims, who were women, had passed away.
The victims were identified as local residents who worked together at a company in the High-Tech Zone of Hong Zhuangyang Town. According to villagers from Hong Dong, these workers might have had to work overtime at the factory and, lacking transportation, opted to take this truck to save on costs. The truck, loaded with goods and frozen ice, only needed about 20 minutes to reach the village.
An official from the Hong Zhuangyang Town government confirmed that the truck belonged to a company in the High-Tech Zone and that the victims were employees of that company. Notably, there were 10 people in total on the truck, including the driver, with two sitting safely in the front cabin. One of the victims was related to a local resident.
China Newsweek also reported that three of the eight victims were from Cao Li village in Yangdingshan Town. They worked in beef processing plants in the city, packaging meat. At the time of the incident, the truck was carrying frozen beef and ice to maintain the temperature.
According to information from villagers and witnesses, the victims were aged between 40 and 50, most with teenage or university-aged children. They usually commuted to work by electric vehicles, and in the evenings, the truck owner would drop them off near the village’s gas station.
An automotive industry expert mentioned that refrigerated trucks have higher airtightness requirements compared to regular vehicles due to the installation of air conditioning systems in the cargo area. The truck’s compartment is designed like a large refrigerator, and with multiple people inside such a confined space, they would quickly succumb to suffocation due to elevated carbon dioxide levels.
On the social media platform X, a post detailed the incident: “On June 15th, a light truck illegally transporting eight people stopped near a gas station. The driver found the passengers suffocated and unconscious and immediately called 120 for emergency rescue. Despite five hours of rescue efforts, all eight people tragically lost their lives.”
