Truck's fuel tank explosion injures firefighters in Los Angeles

At least nine firefighters have been injured, with two in a critical position, after a truck's fuel tank exploded in the United States city of Los Angeles, NBC reported.

All nine people have been admitted to the Harbour-UCLA Medical Centre and are under treatment.

The fire department reported that the incident occurred in the Wilmington area of the state of California.

NBC reported that Fire Captain Erik Scott said that the vehicle's distinguishing feature is that it is powered by compressed natural gas, or CNG, rather than petrol or diesel. "There was a big explosion. The flaming ball reached as high as these phone poles."

According to authorities, the truck driver saw there was a problem with the tractor of the large rig so he moved aside to contact 911, sparing himself harm.

The tractor was fueled by compressed natural gas carried in two 100-gallon (378-litre) tanks, one of which exploded six minutes after firefighters arrived on the scene in Wilmington. 

The blast occurred adjacent to an industrial area separated from a neighbourhood by a wide street and a rail line.

The neighbourhood is 18 miles (29 kilometres) south of downtown, near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.