Photo: Screenshot of the video of the accident site posted by CCTV.

A liquefied petroleum gas tanker truck in East China's Zhejiang Province exploded off a highway on Saturday, leaving 19 people dead and 172 in hospital, with 24 severely injured. 

The explosion occurred at about 4:40 pm on the highway near Liangshan village, Wenling city. 

The truck, headed from Ningbo to Wenzhou, veered off the highway after the explosion and crashed into a factory building on the side of the road, causing a secondary explosion.

Nearly 100 residential houses in Liangshan were seriously affected, Chongqing Daily reported on Sunday. 

More than 2,600 rescue workers and 150 vehicles were dispatched to the site and more than 30 excavators and other large rescue equipment were brought to the rescue site, said Zhu Minglian, a deputy mayor of Wenling, at a press conference on Sunday. 

A total of 19 people have died and 172 people were rescued and admitted into local hospitals, including 24 severely injured, Zhu said. 

The vehicle was found disassembled at the spot with its front part extremely damaged, while the driver and another person in the truck are still missing.

The total economic losses resulting from the accident are still being assessed.

The local government has conducted real-time monitoring of the air and water at the  site and taken measures to prevent any pollution, officials said. 

The company that owns the vehicle was found to have been subjected to 11 administrative punishments for failing to conduct technical rating and comprehensive vehicle performance testing, Chongqing Daily reported.