31 dead after gas explosion at barbecue restaurant in China

By Jessie Yeung and CNN's Beijing bureau, June 22: At least 31 people are dead and seven injured in the Chinese city of Yinchuan, in the northwest Ningxia region, after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant Wednesday night, according to state media.

The explosion was caused by a leak of a liquified gas tank inside the restaurant, and took place around 8:40 p.m., according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Among the seven injured, one person is still in critical condition. The other six are being treated in the hospital for minor injuries, burns and glass cuts.

Local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene, with search and rescue operations lasting until 4 a.m. Thursday, according to state media.

Photos posted by state media show the damaged building, with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground and smoke in the air. Firefighters are seen entering the second floor on a ladder and lifting people out on stretchers.

Interviews by police and firefighters on the scene established that two restaurant staffers had smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, the Yinchuan government said in a statement posted online Thursday.

The two staffers found the valve of the gas tank had broken, and sent another staff member to buy a new one, according to the statement. The explosion took place as the valve was being replaced.

The restaurant is located on a busy street, state media reported.

Police have detained nine people and frozen their assets, including the restaurant’s manager, employees and shareholders, according to state media China Youth Daily.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called the incident “heartbreaking,” and said it was a “profound lesson,” state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday.

Xi added that it is imperative to treat the wounded and comfort the victims’ families, and find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible. He also ordered relevant government authorities to carry out a safety risk review and strengthen safety supervision in key sectors, CCTV reported.

The incident came just before China began its three-day national public holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, marking the Dragon Boat Festival.

The country has been rocked by a number of safety incidents this year. A coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia in February left 53 dead; then in April, the deadliest fire to hit Beijing in two decades killed 29 people in a hospital.