According to state media, a gas explosion that occurred at a barbecue restaurant on Wednesday night has resulted in at least 31 deaths and seven injuries in the Chinese city of Yinchuan, which is located in the northwest region of Ningxia.
According to CCTV, the restaurant’s state broadcaster, the explosion took place around 8:40 p.m. and was caused by a leak from a liquified gas tank inside the establishment.
One of the seven people who were hurt remains in critical condition. The remaining six are being treated for minor injuries, burns, and glass cuts at the hospital.
According to state media, local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene. Search and rescue operations lasted until 4 a.m. on Thursday.
The damaged building can be seen in photos that state media have shared, with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground, and smoke in the air. Firemen are seen entering the second floor on a stepping stool and lifting individuals out on cots.
The Yinchuan government said in a statement that was posted online on Thursday that two restaurant employees had smelled gas approximately an hour prior to the explosion after police and firefighters interviewed them on the spot.
The two staff members found the valve of the fuel tank had broken, and sent one more staff part to purchase another one, as per the assertion. The valve was being replaced when the explosion occurred.
State media said that the restaurant is on a busy street.
According to state media China Youth Daily, nine individuals, including the manager, employees, and shareholders of the restaurant, have been detained by police and their assets have been frozen.
State broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday that Chinese leader Xi Jinping referred to the incident as a “profound lesson” and called it “heartbreaking.”
Xi went on to say that the injured must be treated, the families of the victims should be comforted, and the accident must be solved as soon as possible. CCTV reported that he also instructed relevant government officials to conduct a safety risk assessment and enhance safety supervision in key sectors.
The incident occurred just before China began its three-day Dragon Boat Festival national holiday, which runs from Thursday to Saturday.
This year, a number of safety incidents have rocked the nation. 53 people were killed in a coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia in February; The deadliest fire in Beijing in two decades then killed 29 people in a hospital in April.
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