DEVASTATION IN NORTHERN CHINA: SUSPECTED GAS EXPLOSION LEAVES TWO DEAD, 26 INJURED
In a horrifying scene of destruction, a deadly suspected gas explosion tore through a residential neighborhood in northern China on Wednesday morning.
The powerful blast, which occurred just before 8 a.m. at a ground-floor restaurant in a residential area of Sanhe city, Hebei province, east of Beijing, left at least two people dead, 26 others injured, and completely destroyed a four-story building, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
Authorities have indicated that the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak, although the specific cause and location of the blast have not yet been identified.
Footage of the dramatic blast and its aftermath circulated on Chinese social media site Weibo, showing a massive fireball erupting from the multistory building, demolishing walls and ceilings, and sending thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
Several buildings were severely damaged, with one reduced to a skeletal structure. Firefighters were hard at work extinguishing the blaze, surrounded by mangled cars and piles of debris, as depicted in videos and photos on Weibo.
Local residents took to social media to recount hearing a deafening bang in the early hours of the morning and feeling their buildings shake from the force of the explosion.
Buildings across from the blast site also suffered significant damage, with shattered glass and damaged shop signs visible in footage aired on CCTV.
By Wednesday afternoon, the fire had been extinguished, and residents living within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the site had been evacuated, according to CCTV.
This tragic incident adds to a series of deadly incidents caused by gas leaks in China in recent years, including a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwest Ningxia region last June that claimed the lives of 31 people. In response to that tragedy, Chinese market regulators issued comprehensive guidelines on the safe use of gas appliances and cookers to prevent similar safety risks. — CNN
