Beijing: At least 31 people have died and seven others have been injured in Yinchuan City of China's Ningxia region after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant on Wednesday night, CNN reported citing state media.
The explosion took place at around 8:40 pm on Wednesday. The explosion was caused due to a leak in a liquified gas tank in the restaurant, CNN reported citing state broadcaster CCTV.
Among the injured people, one person is still in critical condition while the others were undergoing treatment in the hospital for minor injuries, burns and glass cuts. Local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and over 100 personnel to the incident site. Rescue and search operations lasted until 4 am (local time), CNN reported citing state media.
The pictures shared by the state media showcase the damaged building with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground and smoke in the air. "heartbreaking"Firefighters were seen going towards the second floor on a ladder and moving people out on stretchers, the CNN report said.
"Heartbreaking," says Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping described the explosion as "heartbreaking" and stressed that it was a "profound lesson." He has directed the authorities on the scene to make "all efforts" to treat the injured, strengthen safety supervision and protect the safety of people, CNN cited CCTV.
Interviews by police and firefighters on the scene indicated that two restaurant employees had smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, CNN reported citing the Yinchuan government's statement shared online. The two employees found the gas tank valve broken and sent another employee to buy a new one. The explosion occurred when the valve was being replaced.
(With inputs from ANI)
