China: At Least 31 Killed in Gas Explosion in a Barbecue Restaurant, Nine Arrested

BEIJING: According to a report, at least 31 people were killed when an explosion blasted through a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Yinchuan on the eve of a prominent local holiday.

The explosion happened on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival vacation when many Chinese people go out and socialise with their friends. CCTV footage showed more than a dozen firefighters working on the scene as smoke streamed out of a big hole in the restaurant's exterior.

Glass shards and other debris filled the darkened street, which also houses a number of restaurants and entertainment establishments.

One of the injured is still in serious condition, while the others were being treated in the hospital for minor injuries, burns, and glass cuts. Local fire authorities dispatched 20 trucks and nearly 100 workers to the scene. Rescue and search activities continued until 4 a.m. (local time), according to local media.

State media images show the destroyed structure with blackened exteriors, rubble on the ground and smoke in the air. Firefighters were spotted ascending a ladder to the second level and escorting patients out on stretchers.

The restaurant is located in downtown Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia autonomous region, and is part of a cluster of eateries and entertainment establishments.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, more than 100 workers and 20 vehicles were deployed to the area. The rescue operation lasted until Thursday at 4:00 a.m. local time.

According to preliminary fire department inquiry, a restaurant employee sensed a gas leak approximately an hour before the explosion.

High school kids and pensioners were among those killed, with many dying from suffocation caused by smoke inhalation, according to state-backed media source The Paper, citing unidentified authorities participating in the rescue attempt.

The incident occurred on Wednesday about 8:40 p.m. (12:40 p.m. GMT) at the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant in a residential section of downtown Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia autonomous province.

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