In a tragic incident that unfolded in northwestern China, a barbecue restaurant was rocked by a massive cooking gas explosion, claiming the lives of 31 individuals while leaving seven others injured, as confirmed by Chinese authorities on Thursday (June 22).
During the evening hours of Wednesday (June 21), chaos erupted on a bustling street in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China.
It was on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, as locals and visitors were gathered in anticipation of the festivities. At approximately 8:40 pm, a deafening blast tore through a popular barbecue restaurant, unleashing devastation upon the surroundings.
As per the official Xinhua News Agency, the catastrophic incident resulted in 31 fatalities and inflicted injuries upon several others.
The initial assessment indicates that the primary cause of the explosion appears to be leakage from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank at the restaurant.
As per the official social media account of the Ministry of Emergency Management under the Central Government, the search and rescue operation at the restaurant concluded in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Subsequently, investigators were dispatched to ascertain the cause behind the explosion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the utmost importance of prioritizing the treatment of the injured and has called for enhanced safety supervision in crucial industries and sectors.
Regrettably, despite continuous efforts to improve safety measures, incidents involving gas and chemical explosions continue to occur frequently in China.
A tragic example of this was the series of explosions in 2015, which devastated the northern port city of Tianjin, resulting in the loss of 173 lives.
