At least 31 people were killed in an explosion at a restaurant in the northwest Chinese city of Yinchuan on Wednesday evening, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.
“A leak of liquefied petroleum gas (…) caused an explosion during the service of a barbecue restaurant,” the agency said, citing the regional committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Seven other people were receiving treatment, one of them being 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 the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration for which many Chinese people gather with family and friends.
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.” “, reported CCTV on Thursday.
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 in the aftermath of the explosion.
Relief operations ended at 4 a.m. Thursday (2000 GMT Wednesday), the ministry added.
06/22/2023 04:52:25 – Beijing (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
