Today’s explosion in China: Online videos show a massive plume of blue smoke, damaged cars, and debris scattered across the ground.
A gas explosion at a Yanjiao restaurant in north China’s Hebei Province killed one person and injured 22 others on Wednesday, causing damage to the building and several vehicles, according to official media reports. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas leak at a fried chicken shop in Yanjiao township, according to the state-run The Ultimate News agency. Yanjiao township is situated on the outskirts of Beijing.
According to The Ultimate News, the explosion took place at a restaurant on the ground floor of an old residential complex in Hebei province.
Videos from the scene have circulated online, showing a massive plume of blue smoke, several damaged sedans, and debris scattered all over the ground. Local authorities have dispatched an investigation team to the scene and are currently conducting rescue operations, according to reports.
🚨🇨🇳 BREAKING: HUGE EXPLOSION IS REPORTED IN YANJIAO, CHINA
The explosion happened in a building. There's no immediate report on casualties.pic.twitter.com/XylJsBuLUW
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 13, 2024
According to The Ultimate News, police cordoned off streets 1 kilometre away from the explosion and directed people away. As of 11 a.m., fire engines were still arriving on the scene, and a truck could be seen hauling away a burned-out car with its windows missing.
“An explosion occurred at the ground floor restaurant in an old residential area,” state broadcaster CCTV reported, adding that it was a “suspected gas explosion”.
According to CCTV, the blast occurred around 7:55 a.m. (local time) in a residential area of the village of Xiaozhanggezhuang, Yanjiao, in Sanhe City, less than 50 kilometers east of Beijing.
A video posted on social media depicted what appeared to be a completely collapsed building and several destroyed cars.
#BREAKING– Large explosion damages multiple buildings in Yanjiao, China.
No word on injuries at this time.#explosion #China #Yanjiaopic.twitter.com/lQ6UMCTv30— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) March 13, 2024
China: Two Coal Mine Accidents Kill 12
In unrelated incidents, two separate coal mine accidents in China killed 12 people in the last 24 hours, according to state broadcaster CCTV. These are the latest incidents to plague the industry since the government recently revised mining safety legislation.
An underground coal bunker owned by a company in Zhongyang County, Shanxi province, collapsed shortly before midnight on Monday, killing five people and leaving two missing, CCTV reported on Tuesday.
The fatal accident in Shanxi occurred after the mining safety regulator issued a notice last month instructing mines to reduce overproduction to avoid accidents. In 2023, China’s top coal mining region saw an increase in deaths.
In 2023, China experienced a string of fatal coal mine accidents, prompting the country’s mine safety administration to revise an existing law that an official described as having “significant flaws.”