Beijing: A massive explosion occurred at a restaurant in China's Hebei province on Wednesday, killing two persons and injuring 22 others, while badly damaging cars and leaving debris scattered on surrounding streets, according to Chinese local media. The blast occurred at about 8 am on Wednesday in Sanhe, a county about 80 km from Beijing.
According to CCTV, the explosion occurred at a fried chicken restaurant in Yanjiao, Sanhe, and is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. The injured persons were sent to a hospital by authorities present at the scene. The blast happened just after the end of high-level government political meetings in Beijing.
Earlier, the Langfang Fire Rescue Detachment said in a statement that an explosion and fire had occurred in a street shop near the intersection of Xueyuan Street and Yingbin Road in Xiaozhanggezhuang village. The department said it dispatched 36 vehicles and 154 people to the scene, adding that the fire was under control and that rescue work was being carried out.
Videos on the social media platform Weibo showed a large orange fireball above the site, followed by thick plumes of grey smoke. The video clips showed destroyed building facades, numerous mangled cars, and glass littering surrounding streets. Some objects were on fire.
The Sanhe City Emergency Management Bureau sent an investigation team to the scene, and the Langfang City Emergency Management Bureau said the fire department was also at the explosion site, according to social media posts. Firefighters are currently on-site managing the situation, the report said.
(with inputs from agencies)
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