9 killed as canteen collapses in Chongqing
Nine people were killed after a canteen collapsed in the Wulong district of Chongqing on Friday, according to the municipal government.
More than 20 people were trapped after the canteen of the Fengshan Subdistrict Office collapsed around 12:10 pm, moments after an explosion that the authorities suspect was triggered by a gas leak. The dead are among 20 people who were found by publishing time. The injured were receiving treatment in hospital. Rescue operations are ongoing.
On hearing of the accident, Chen Min’er, Chongqing’s Party chief, and Hu Henghua, Chongqing’s acting mayor, commanded related departments to search for and rescue the victims as soon as possible and to prevent secondary disasters, and rushed to the scene for command and dispatch work.
The local firefighting department rushed three teams comprising 260 rescue personnel in 50 vehicles. The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent working groups and experts, a mine rescue team and an engineering team comprising 60 people to the scene. Excavation and lifting equipment has also been sent.
The municipal government has set up an emergency unit at the spot, and 10 more teams are at their disposal to carry out rescue operations and provide medical treatment.
“I heard a huge bang, which was like an earthquake. Soon, dozens of rescue vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances arrived at the scene,” said a staff member of a nearby shop, about 100 meters from the site of the incident, local media reported.
She said they were not affected much, but the windows of houses nearer to the site were shattered.