8 people killed, 35 injured when gas pipe ruptures, burns

A ruptured gas pipeline in southwestern Guizhou province burst into flames, killing eight people and injuring 35 on Sunday morning.

Four of the injured were in critical condition, and eight others sustained severe injuries, the provincial government said in a statement on Sunday night. All the injured were taken to the hospital, and people living near the site of the fire were evacuated, the authorities said.

The fire was put out by 7 pm, and the gas leak had been controlled, they said.

Around 10 am, a section of gas pipeline running thorough Qinglong county, Guizhou, was broken in a landslide after days of heavy downpours, and leaking gas had been burning for hours, the statement said.

Some online video clips showed flames shooting skyward.

More details about the cause of the rupture will come after an investigation, the provincial government said.

After the incident, public security authorities, firefighters and medical teams from the county, city and province converged on the site to assist.

The pipeline belongs to China National Petroleum Corp.