Gas Explosion at Chinese Barbecue Restaurant Results in 31 Fatalities
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Hashim Sheikh
- . June 22, 2023
- . Update: June 22, 2023 7:10 pm
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the explosion occurred around 8:40 p.m. and was brought on by a liquified petrol tank leak inside the restaurant.
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One of the seven injured is still in a critical state. The hospital treats the other six patients for minor wounds, burns, and glass cuts.
More about the gas explosion in Chinese Barbecue Restaurant-
According to state media, local fire departments dispatched 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene, and search and rescue efforts continued there until 4 a.m. on Thursday.
State media have published images of the damaged building, which has exteriors that are blackened, debris on the ground, and smoke in the air. Firefighters can be seen climbing a ladder to the second floor and carrying people out on stretchers.
Two restaurant employees were found to have smelled gas about an hour prior to the explosion, according to police and fire department interviews conducted on the scene, the city of Yinchuan said in a statement posted online Thursday.
According to the statement, the two employees discovered that the petrol tank’s valve had broken and ordered another employee to purchase a replacement. As the valve was being changed, there was an explosion.
According to state media, the restaurant is situated on a busy street.
According to state media China Youth Daily, police have detained nine people and frozen their assets, including the manager, staff, and shareholders of the restaurant.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the incident “heartbreaking” and said it was a “profound lesson.”
The injured must be cared for, the families of the victims must be consoled, and the cause of the accident must be determined as soon as possible, Xi continued. According to CCTV, he also gave instructions to the appropriate government agencies to review safety risks and step up safety oversight in essential industries.
The incident occurred just prior to China’s three-day national holiday, which runs from Thursday to Saturday and is in honor of the Dragon Boat Festival.
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This year, a number of safety-related incidents have jolted the nation. In February, a coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia claimed the lives of 53 people, and in April, a hospital fire in Beijing claimed the lives of 29 people.
