A suspected gas explosion in northern China’s Hebei province killed one person and injured 22 on Wednesday, state media reported, with social media videos showing severe damage to buildings.
According to CCTV, the explosion occurred at around 8 a.m. in a residential area in Sanhe City, less than 50 kilometers east of the capital Beijing.
One person was killed and 22 injured, the broadcaster said, adding that the explosion was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak from a fried chicken restaurant.
“An explosion occurred in a restaurant on the ground floor of an old residential area,” CCTV said, adding that the injured had been taken to hospital.
CCTV added: “The casualties are currently unknown.”
An AFP reporter at the scene observed police waving oncoming vehicles away from the entrance to the community where the explosion occurred.
Video circulated online by state media showed a huge explosion on a busy road during the morning rush hour, sending out billows of smoke and fire.
Another video on social media showed a building appearing to completely collapse and several cars destroyed.
State media said rescue workers rushed to the scene, and the local fire department in Langfang said it had sent 36 ambulances and 154 personnel to the scene.
The Langfang Fire Department stated that the fire has been effectively controlled and rescue work is being carried out urgently.
A businessman who works at a nearby shop told state-run JIM News she was in her shop when she heard a “bang”.
She said she ran out of the store and saw a building on fire, adding that “the whole building was pretty much destroyed.”
Accidents occur frequently
Explosions and other fatal accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and weak enforcement.
A series of fatal accidents in China in recent months, often caused by official negligence, prompted President Xi Jinping to call for “deep reflection” and greater efforts to “curb frequent safety incidents.”
Last month, a fire broke out in a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing, killing at least 15 people and injuring 44 others.
In January, a fire at a store in the central city of Xinyu killed dozens of people, with state news agency Xinhua reporting that the fire was caused by “illegal” use of fire by workers in the store’s basement.
Just days before the fire, a late-night fire broke out at a school in central Henan province, killing 13 students sleeping in a dormitory.
Domestic media reported that the fire was caused by an electric heating device.
In November, a fire broke out at a coal company office in northern China’s Shanxi province, killing 26 people and sending dozens to hospital.
Last June, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the country’s northwest killed 31 people, prompting officials to pledge a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.
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