“A leak of liquefied petroleum gas […] caused an explosion during the service of a barbecue restaurant,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday, June 22. The explosion took place Wednesday evening at a restaurant in the city of Yinchuan, in northwest China, killing at least 31 people. Seven other people were receiving treatment, with one in “critical condition”, Xinhua said. Two other victims suffered severe burns, two others minor injuries, and another two were hit by shards of glass, according to the same source.
Footage from state-run CCTV showed more than a dozen firefighters battling smoke billowing through the gaping hole created by the blast. The street, which hosts other food and entertainment businesses, was strewn with debris.
The explosion took place at around 8:40 p.m. (1240 GMT) at the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant, located in a residential area in downtown Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Autonomous Region. The tragedy occurred on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration for which many Chinese gather with family and friends.
BREAKING: Gas explosion rips through restaurant in northern China, killing at least 31 people pic.twitter.com/X8lBqh5qCE
Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded that all efforts be made in “caring for the injured and strengthening safety supervision and management in key industries and sectors to effectively protect people’s lives and property.” people,” CCTV reported Thursday. The Department of Emergency Management said local fire and rescue services dispatched more than 100 people and 20 vehicles to the scene in the aftermath of the blast.
The rescue operations ended at 4 a.m. Thursday (8 p.m. GMT Wednesday), the ministry added.