At least 31 people were killed during a gas explosion in a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Yinchuan, state media said on Thursday.
The explosion took place on Wednesday evening on the eve of a three-day Dragon Boat Festival. Many residents visit with friends during this holiday.
The explosion occurred around 20:40 (1240 GMT) at the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant in a residential area in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia autonomous region.
Footage from the state broadcaster CCTV shows how more than a dozen firefighters attend the scene to get the fire under control. Smoke billows from a large hole in the front of the restaurant.
Shards of glass and other debris littered the street, where several restaurants and entertainment venues are located.
Nine people, including the restaurant’s “owner, shareholders and staff” were detained by police after the explosion, CCTV reported. The restaurant’s assets have also been frozen.
“A leak of liquefied petroleum gas caused an explosion at a restaurant,” state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday evening, citing the regional committee of the Communist Party.
Seven people were injured, of which one person was in a critical condition, the agency initially reported and later added that six people were “stable” and one person was discharged with minor injuries.
The persons admitted to the hospital suffered burns and scrapes, according to Xinhua.
High school students and retirees are among the victims. Many died from asphyxiation – probably from inhaling the smoke, the state-backed media outlet The Paper said, citing anonymous rescue officials.
Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded that “everything possible will be done to treat the injured” and to step up safety supervision and management in key industries “to protect people’s lives and property”, Xinhua reported on Thursday.
Xi warned that the cause of the accident should be determined as quickly as possible and that the responsible persons should be prosecuted under the law.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said local fire and rescue services had deployed more than 100 people and 20 vehicles.
Rescue efforts were suspended at 04:00 on Thursday morning.
Officers held a press conference on Thursday evening. “I express my deepest condolences to the deceased, their families and the injured. I apologize profusely to the people of our city,” Yinchuan Mayor Tao Shaohua said.
????Çin’de barbekü restoranında patlama: 31 ölü
Patlama Çin’in Ningxia özerk district capital Yinchuan şehir centrumaki Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant’ta zóra geldi. According to the first determinations, 31 people are living their lives.#China | #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/5NmSahzons
— Ajans 24 (@ajans24_medya) June 22, 2023
#China: At least 31 people have been killed & 7 injured after rescue operations failed when a gas explosion occurred at a Fuyang Barbecue restaurant in Minzu South Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan City, Ningxia.pic.twitter.com/Qs3Eb9HFiR
— Wᵒˡᵛᵉʳᶤᶰᵉ Uᵖᵈᵃᵗᵉˢ???? (@W0lverineupdate) June 22, 2023
