Dozens die after a gas explosion in a barbecue restaurant in China
A gas explosion that ripped through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China killed at least 31 people, officials said Thursday, hours after the blast had turned the restaurant into a charred ruin.
The explosion hit the twostory restaurant in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia region, at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, when it was busy with customers eating lamb kebabs and other dishes cooked on gas burners. Firefighters rushed to the scene, where thick smoke rose into the sky and shattered glass and debris covered the street. They put out the fire within an hour.
The scale of death became clear to the public only on the following morning, when the authorities announced the death toll and that seven other people were hospitalized with injuries, one in critical condition.
Chinese Communist Party authorities have become increasingly effective at withholding details of accidents and disasters until they are in full control of the situation. A brief initial report from Xinhua, the official news agency, had said one person was killed and 20 injured. It did not mention the possibility of more dead.
On Thursday, officials in Ningxia promised a thorough investigation of the blast and announced a campaign to improve safety. China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, issued a statement of condolence, as he usually does after major accidents. Xi noted that the explosion happened on the night before the Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwujie, a traditional Chinese holiday. “Pay attention to hidden, emerging risks and carry out comprehensive safety checks,” he said.