AT LEAST 12 DIE, 150 HURT AS GAS LINE EXPLOSION TEARS THROUGH HOMES IN CENTRAL CHINA

At least 12 people were killed and over 150 injured including 39 seriously on Sunday after a gas line explosion tore through a residential neighbourhood in central China. Responders to the early morning blast in the Hubei province city of Shiyan sent more than 150 people to hospital, according to a statement on the city’s official social media channel. It said rescue efforts were continuing.

Stall keepers and customers buying breakfast and fresh vegetables at a food market were the major victims when the explosion hit shortly after 6am, according to state media reports. Images showed rescuers climbing over broken concrete slabs to reach those trapped inside.

The blast appeared similar to one that occurred in the northeastern port of Qingdao in 2013, in which 55 people were killed when underground pipelines ripped open following a leak.