Aizawl, Oct 30 (IANS): At least four people including a woman were killed and 18 are injured after an oil tanker exploded in Mizoram's Aizawl district, police said on Sunday.

Aizawl District Superintendent of Police C. Lalruaia said that a Champhai-bound oil tanker carrying over 20,000 litres of petrol met with an accident on Saturday night near the Tuirial airfield and caught fire.

Local people including the victims were trying to collect the petrol leaking from the oil tanker immediately after the accident.

"Four people were charred to death and 13 injured in the oil fire. The number of injured could be at least 18 as they are admitted in different hospitals and we are trying to collect the details," Lalruaia told IANS over a phone call.

Another police official said that five of the injured are stated to be critical in the Synod Hospital in Aizawl.

A taxi and two bikes were damaged in the incident, the official said.