31 people died in the explosion in the restaurant
At least 31 people were killed in an explosion at a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Yinchuan on Wednesday evening.
Illustrative image.
AFP
“A liquefied petroleum gas leak (…) caused an explosion during service at a barbecue restaurant,” the official China News Agency explained on Thursday, citing the regional committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Seven others are being treated, one of whom is in critical condition, New China reported. Two other victims suffered severe burns, two suffered minor injuries, and two others were hit by shards of glass, the same source said.
Footage from state-run CCTV showed more than a dozen firefighters battling plumes of smoke through the hole left by the blast. The street, which hosts other food and entertainment businesses, was littered with trash.
The explosion occurred at around 8:40 pm (2:40 pm in Switzerland) at the Fuyang barbecue restaurant located in a residential area in Yinchuan city, the capital of the autonomous region of Ningxia.
Dragon Boat Festival
The tragedy occurred the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration where many Chinese people gather with family and friends.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all efforts to “take care of the injured and strengthen safety supervision and management in key industries and sectors to effectively protect people’s lives and property.”
The Ministry of Emergency Management told him that local fire and rescue services had dispatched more than 100 people and 20 vehicles to the scene following the explosion. The relief work ended at 4am on Thursday (10pm on Wednesday in Switzerland), the ministry added.
AFP
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