DALLAS _ A truck carrying Takata air bag inflators and propellants exploded in South Texas last week, killing one person, the company said Monday.
The inflators and propellants are at the center of a global recall involving exploding air bags. The defective bags have killed at least 14 people in the U.S.
The truck in last week's incident, operated by a subcontractor, was bound for a Takata warehouse in Eagle Pass, a city near the U.S.-Mexico border, when the accident occurred. The ensuing explosion destroyed a nearby home, killing 69-year-old Lucida Robles. It also burned 10 other houses and injured a driver and passenger in a passing vehicle.
News 4 San Antonio said the explosion was not caused by a collision with another vehicle, suggesting it was caused by a problem in the truck, its trailer or the cargo.
Takata has a warehouse in Eagle Pass that stocks inflators manufactured at a plant in Monclava, Mexico.
Takata said it sent personnel to the site to help investigate the incident.
The Takata recall is the largest in the history of the auto industry. Prolonged exposure of the inflators to hot conditions can cause air bags to explode, spraying shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
More than 100 million vehicles worldwide with Takata inflators are being recalled.
