Beijing, June 22 (EFE).- A gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwest China has resulted in the death of at least 31 people, as reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency on Thursday.
The explosion, caused by a cooking gas leak on Wednesday night, devastated the restaurant located in Yinchuan, the capital of China’s Ningxia autonomous region.
Seven people are receiving medical treatment at a local hospital for injuries sustained in the blast.
According to Xinhua, security authorities have apprehended nine suspects, including the restaurant owner and staff, and have frozen their assets as part of the ongoing investigation into the cause of the liquefied petroleum gas leakage at the restaurant.
President Xi Jinping has urged for “every effort” to be made in treating the injured and has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
The official WeChat account of the Yinchuan government reported that the explosion occurred after a cook replaced a valve on a gas tank.
In response to the incident, 64 families residing in the vicinity of the explosion-hit eatery have been relocated to hotels for their safety.
The accident marks the deadliest explosion in China since March 2019, when a blast at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Jiangsu claimed the lives of 78 people. EFE
jco-ssk
