A lethal explosion in a building in Yanjiao town, China, on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and left 27 others injured, according to Global Times.
As per the most recent announcement by local authorities, the number of fatalities in the incident in Yanjiao, situated east of Beijing, has increased from two to seven, according to the latest notice.
At 7:54 am on Wednesday, an explosion, believed to be triggered by a gas leak, occurred at a fried chicken shop in Yanjiao, Sanhe City, in North China’s Hebei Province, causing significant damage to multiple adjacent buildings.
Global Times reported that following the incident, local fire, emergency, and medical teams promptly arrived on the scene to manage the situation.
The fire brigade stated that they received the call about the explosion at 7:55 am and had extinguished the fire before 10 am, as per a statement. Global Times reported that as of 1:30 pm, 28 individuals had been rescued from the site of the incident.
Yanjiao, located east of Beijing, serves as a satellite town and a key commuting hub for many employed in the capital city.
Global Times reported that the National Health Commission (NHC) has expressed significant concern regarding this accident. Upon its occurrence, the NHC promptly contacted the Health Commission of Hebei Province, urging the immediate dispatch of provincial medical experts to the scene for emergency medical assistance.
Additionally, professional experts have been dispatched to engage in consultations with hospitals treating the injured individuals. Their role is to assist in assessing the injuries of each patient and collaborate on developing personalized treatment plans, as reported by Global Times.
CCTV cited that the NHC reiterated its commitment to guiding both medical and psychological treatment for the injured. The commission stated that it would continue to promptly dispatch experts to provide necessary support as required, as mentioned on Wednesday afternoon.
Live footage of the incident revealed that the 4-story building collapsed following the explosion, with its glass shattering in nearby buildings.
Furthermore, the explosion caused additional damage by impacting cars on the road and scattering debris across the ground. The building opposite the explosion site also sustained varying degrees of damage, with occasional falling glass and debris, as observed in the live footage of the incident.
CNN reports that notably, China has experienced a series of deadly incidents in recent years attributed to gas leaks.
Additionally, CNN notes that since the start of this year, there has been a surge in safety accidents across different regions of China. These include coal mine gas explosions, school dormitory fires, dust explosions, lithium battery explosions in electric vehicles, and other incidents, resulting in varying degrees of casualties.
Following a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest Ningxia region last June, which resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals, Chinese market regulators issued comprehensive guidelines on the usage of gas appliances and cookers to mitigate safety risks, as reported by CNN.