Seven people have been killed and 27 injured in a deadly explosion that took place in a building in Yanjiao town in China on Wednesday, reported Global Times.
According to the latest notice published by the local authorities, the death toll has risen from two to seven killed in the incident that happened in Yanjiao, located to the east of Beijing.
The explosion, suspected to be caused by a gas leak, occurred at 7:54 am on Wednesday at a fried chicken shop in Yanjiao, Sanhe City in North China’s Hebei Province, causing severe damage to several surrounding buildings.
Following the incident, local fire, emergency and medical teams quickly arrived on the spot to handle the situation, as reported by Global Times.
The fire brigade received the call, informing about the explosion at 7:55 am, and had controlled the fire before 10 am, the brigade said in a statement.
As of 1:30 pm, 28 people had been recovered from the incident site, according to Global Times.
Yanjiao is a satellite town to the east of Beijing, and a commuting hub for many who work in Beijing.
The National Health Commission (NHC) attaches great importance to this accident.
It immediately contacted the Health Commission of Hebei Province as soon as the accident occurred, requesting the immediate dispatch of provincial medical experts to the scene to carry out medical emergency work, Global Times reported.
Moreover, professional experts have been sent to hold consultations with the hospitals treating the injured people and help in assessing the injuries of each patient and developing individualized treatment plans.
The NHC vows to continue to guide medical and psychological treatment of the injured, and will promptly dispatch experts to provide support as needed, it said on Wednesday afternoon, as CCTV cited.
According to the live footage of the incident, the 4-story building collapsed after the explosion, and its glass shattered in nearby buildings.
It further damaged cars on the road and left debris scattered on the ground. The building opposite the explosion site also suffered varying degrees of damage, with glass and other debris occasionally falling from it.
Notably, China has seen a series of deadly incidents caused by gas leaks in recent years, according to CNN.
Additionally, since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent safety accidents in various parts of China, including coal mine gas explosions, school dormitory fires, dust explosions, lithium battery explosions in electric vehicles, and other accidents, resulting in varying degrees of casualties.
Last June, a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwest Ningxia region killed 31 people. Following that blast, Chinese market regulators issued detailed guidelines on the use of gas appliances and cookers to avoid safety risks.