CGTN
Emergency workers respond to a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China, on June 21.
CNN
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At least 31 people were killed and seven injured in China’s Yinchuan city, in the northwestern Ningxia region, after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant on Wednesday night, according to state media.
The explosion was caused by a leak in a liquefied gas tank inside the restaurant, and occurred around 8:40 p.m., according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Of the seven injured, one person is still in critical condition. The other six were treated at the hospital for minor injuries, burns and glass injuries.
Local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene, with search and rescue operations lasting until 4 am Thursday morning, according to state media.
Photos posted by state media showed the destroyed building, with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground and smoke in the air. Firefighters could be seen entering the second floor on a ladder and lifting people off stretchers.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping Called the explosion “heartbreaking,” and said it was a “profound lesson.” He gave instructions to local authorities, which required “every effort” to treat the injured, strengthen safety management and protect the safety of residents, according to CCTV.
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Interviews with police and firefighters at the scene established that two restaurant staff had smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, the Yinchuan government said in a statement posted online. on Thursday.
Two staff members found that the gas tank valve was broken, and sent another staff member to buy a new one. The explosion occurred while the valve was being replaced.
Police detained nine people and froze their assets, including the restaurant’s manager, employees and shareholders, according to state media China Youth Daily.
The restaurant is located on a busy road, state media reported. The incident occurred before China began a three-day national holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, marking the Dragon Boat Festival.
The country has been rocked by several safety incidents this year. A coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia in February left 53 dead; then in April, the deadliest fire to hit Beijing in two decades killed 29 people in a hospital.
