A fiery explosion caught on surveillance video in Philadelphia has raised questions about the safety of food trucks in Vancouver.
At least 12 people were injured, five of them critically, when the blast tore apart a truck on Tuesday afternoon sending a massive fireball into the air.
Two women who were working in the truck at the time of the explosion remain in hospital in critical condition.
It is alleged a leaking propane tank was the cause of the blast.
The explosion has focused new attention on the safety regulations governing the growing and popular food truck program in Vancouver.
The city of Vancouver requires food truck operators to adhere to fire code safety regulations.
Sarb Mund who runs one of more than a hundred mobile food vendors in Vancouver says they feel safe.
“We get it inspected all the time, we get it inspected at every festival we go to. We get our propane tanks routinely inspected,” says Mund.
Calvin Boas with Mom’s Grilled Cheese says they get check-ups every couple of months.
“Every day I look at the equipment before I turn everything on,” says Boas.
Shafiq Qureshi has been in the food truck business for 20 years and says Vancouver is safer than many other cities both in Canada and the U.S.
Vancouver’s food truck program started with 17 vendors in 2010, and grew to a fleet of 114 in three years. Fifteen new food trucks have been added in May of last year.
With files from Jill Bennett
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