UPDATE Sept. 4 - 12:45 p.m. - An investigation has determined Thursday's food truck explosion was caused by a gas leak, and the truck didn't have proper permits or a warning system to prevent it.

The city of Hastings released more information on the Beto's Tacos truck explosion shortly before noon. 

Beto's Facebook page said the cause of the blast was a gas leak Thursday morning, and authorities confirmed that it was caused by leaking propane gas.

The investigation revealed the food truck did not have a propane alarm, which would've alerted to the detection of a propane leak. 

The city says Beto's was operating without a valid permit from the Hastings Fire and Rescue Department, which is required for all mobile food trucks in Hastings.

The lone person inside the truck was able to self-evacuate after the explosion, and was hospitalized with non life-threatening burn injuries.

 

ORIGINAL STORY --

HASTINGS, Neb. – A local food truck owner is fortunate to be alive after his truck exploded with him in it early Thursday morning.

The Hastings Fire and Rescue Department received multiple 9-1-1 calls just after 4:30 a.m. for reports of an explosion and fire to the Beto's Tacos truck stationed in a parking lot near W 6th St. and N Lincoln Ave.

According to HFR Community Risk Reduction Officer Anthony Murphy, one person was inside the truck at the time of the explosion, and they were taken to a hospital with burn injuries. 

Fire officials say they didn't see any flames coming from the food truck upon their arrival. 

Murphy told NCN debris sprayed over 100 feet away from the truck, and a reporter on scene observed glass and metal pieces on the opposite end of the parking lot.

Further details are still being investigated by HFR, but a Facebook post from Beto's Tacos Thursday morning said the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Fire officials have not yet confirmed this as of yet.

The owner, Francisco Diaz, said he was okay in the social media post.

Multiple people on Facebook that live near the truck reported feeling their houses shake during the explosion.

  City of Hastings