An explosion caused by a reported gas leak in a barbecue restaurant
An explosion caused by a reported gas leak in a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan city has resulted in 31 deaths, most of whom had congregated in celebration of the three day Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Additionally, seven people were injured and are currently in critical condition.
According to an investigation, an employee had smelt gas and discovered a broken valve on a liquefied gas tank and was replacing it when the blast occurred. More than a dozen firefighters were seen rushing to the site, and fire and rescue services reported sending 100 personnel and 20 vehicles to the scene.
President Xi Jinping has called for “all out efforts” to treat those injured and bolster security measures to prevent such an incident from happening again. He has said:
“We must do our best to rescue the injured and reassure the families of the casualties, identity the cause of the accident as soon as possible, and seriously pursue responsibility according to the law.”
Nine people have been detained so far for the negligence that caused such a tragedy, including the owner of the restaurant where it happened, the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant.
