At least three people died this Friday after an explosion in a cafeteria, which caused the collapse of a building in the city of Chongqing (southwest of China), trapping numerous people who were having lunch there.
(Read here: For cases of covid-19, China borders another city of a million people)
The explosion occurred in the canteen of a local administration around 12:10 local time (04:10 GMT), “probably due to a gas leak,” said public television CCTV. A total of 27 people were trapped in the collapse, according to the state agency Xinhua.
(Also: What is happening in Kazakhstan? Keys to understanding the crisis)
By 6:00 p.m. local time, 13 people had been pulled from the rubble, three of them dead. People were having lunch at the time the explosion occurred.
The first images released by Chinese media on social media showed firefighters making their way through collapsed walls, aided by a crane. Other videos showed a dense cloud of gray smoke over a mountain of ruins and civilians being evacuated.
The number of injured is unknown at the moment. In total, about 260 people and 50 vehicles participate in the rescue tasks, according to CCTV. Heavy equipment has also been sent to excavate. Some of the injured were taken to hospital, Xinhua said, although without giving further details on their number or condition.
Over 20 people were trapped after an explosion occurred in a canteen in southwestern China’s Chongqing at noon today. The cause of the accident remains unknown, CCTV reported. (Video Source: The Paper) pic.twitter.com/s5efJZEfxT
– Yicai Global 第一 财经 (@yicaichina) January 7, 2022
Local authorities have set up an emergency center to direct rescue efforts and provide medical assistance, according to state press. A witness related to a public television that the explosion “was terrible” and that “all the windows exploded”.
Accidental explosions are common in China, due to poor compliance with safety regulations. In October 2021, a gas explosion in a restaurant devastated a very busy street in the large city of Shenyang (northeast), causing at least four deaths and 50 injuries.
In June 2021, a gas pipeline explosion killed 25 people in Hubei province (center). Eight people were arrested for negligence, including the head of the company that administered the gas pipeline.
AFP
More news
– Russia sends more than 75 military transport aircraft with troops to Kazakhstan
– President of Kazakhstan authorizes policemen to shoot protesters
.
#dead #explosion #cafeteria #China