Not less than 31 people have been reported dead from an explosion in Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant in Yinchuan, China. The incident which was reported to have occurred at about 8:40 pm local time on Wednesday was on the eve of a popular local holiday, Dragon Boat Festival.
The state news agency, Xinhua, reported that the explosion was due to a leak of liquefied petroleum gas while the restaurant was running. The agency also gathered that seven more people were receiving medical treatment including one person in critical condition; two persons that suffered severe burns; two individuals who had minor injuries and two others that had scratches caused by flying glass.
According to a report from the Guardian, footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed more than a dozen firefighters working at the site as smoke poured out of a gaping hole in the restaurant’s facade. Shards of glass and other debris littered the darkened street.
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The Ministry of emergency management said local fire and rescue services dispatched more than 100 people and 20 vehicles to the scene in the wake of the blast. The rescue efforts had concluded by 4 am on Thursday, it said.
The Chinese government was reported to have demanded all-out efforts in treating the wounded and the strengthening of safety supervision and management in key industries and fields to effectively protect people’s lives and property. According to Xinhua, President Xi urged efforts to ascertain the cause of the accident as soon as possible and hold the relevant people accountable in accordance with the law.
“All regions and related departments should screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers,” Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
Yinchuan Mayor, Tao Shaohua, expressed his regret at the unfortunate situation and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
“On behalf of the city’s party committee and government, I express deep mourning for the deceased, my sincere condolences to their relatives and the injured… and a profound apology to all the people of our city,” Tao said.
The mayor assured the authorities would clarify the cause of the accident as quickly as possible and announce the results of the investigation in a timely manner. He also noted that screening and rectification campaigns would be done to eliminate (safety) risks and hidden dangers at the root.
