The explosion occurred after the truck was in an accident in Eagle Pass, Texas.
DETROIT - A truck transporting Takata-made airbag inflators at the heart of an unprecedented safety recall exploded in Texas earlier this month, killing one person and injuring four others, Reuters reports.
The explosion occurred after the truck went off the road in Eagle Pass, Texas, where Takata Corp. has a warehouse that stocks airbag inflators. The parts are manufactured across the U.S.-Mexico border at a site in Monclova.
Local reports say the blast damaged about 10 nearby homes, sent debris flying almost a mile through the air and created a crater in the ground that closed U.S. Highway 277 on and off for about 30 hours so it could be repaired.
A spokesman for the Japanese supplier confirmed to Reuters that the truck was carrying airbag inflators and propellants with ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound that is at the heart of the massive safety recall for the airbags.
MLive.com left a message with Takata Monday morning.
The Takata airbag recall, which includes driver- and passenger-side airbags, spans 14 automakers, 22 brands and includes more than 100 million vehicles worldwide.
The airbag inflators have in some instances become explosive, sending metal pieces flying through the cabin of the vehicles when the airbags are deployed.
The ammonium nitrate that ignites the air bag inflators can be damaged by moisture over time in humid environments. Once damaged, the propellant has been known to become explosive.
The faulty Takata airbags have been linked to at least 14 deaths and more than 150 injuries.
In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required automakers to have all affected vehicles recalled by the end of 2018.