Truck carrying Takata airbags explodes in Texas, killing 1

Auto part manufacturer Takata confirmed that a truck carrying its airbags and a volatile chemical to a nearby plant exploded in Texas last week, killing one woman and injuring four others, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. 

{mosads}Takata’s defective air bag inflators have been at the center of the largest auto recall in U.S. history.

The truck, which was operated by a subcontractor, caught fire and exploded in Quemado, incinerating a woman’s house nearby.

There is a Takata warehouse in Eagle Pass and an air bag inflator factory across the border in Monclova, Mexico.

The company says it complies with all government regulations and has strict protocols for transporting its products, according to the AP.

“Takata immediately deployed personnel to the site and has been working closely with the subcontractor and the appropriate authorities to investigate this incident,” Takata said in a statement.

Takata uses ammonium nitrate to fill its air bags in a crash, but the chemical can deteriorate and burn too fast when exposed to long periods of heat and humidity. The airbags can explode with too much force and spray shrapnel into the vehicle.

At least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to Takata inflator explosions so far.

The Takata factory in Monclova made the defective inflators, according to the AP.