A compressed natural gas-powered bus exploded Monday and injured 17 while waiting at a traffic light in Seoul, South Korea. The CNG tank ruptured, tearing the bus apart and shattering nearby windows. The whole incident was capture on video below.
The catastrophic failure resulted in 17 injuries to riders and pedestrians, one of which was serious and resulted in a 28-year-old woman requiring immediate surgery to both ankles. Seoul's bus fleet is comprises of approximately 95% CNG buses and as a result the government's launched an immediate investigation into the safety of the fuel tanks.
If the failure mode is determined to be a defect in the tank, all buses manufactured in the same year will be recalled and possibly others if their tanks are considered suspect. One thing's for sure though, we're betting Seoul's bus ridership drops just a little bit until they get things figured out. (Thanks for the tip duurtlang!)