Massive Explosion Leaves Two Dead and 26 Injured

(DailyDig.com) – A deadly explosion occurred on March 13 before 8 a.m. in northern China. A gas leak is suspected to be the cause of the blast in the restaurant that injured 26 people and killed two more, according to state media.

The restaurant was located in the city of Yanjiao, nearly 50 miles from Beijing. The explosion happened on the first floor, which caused the destruction of the multi-storied building, as reported by state media.

Emergency authorities called firefighters, police, rescuers, and health personnel to the scene. About 150 people were dispatched, along with 36 emergency fire department vehicles, which quickly arrived at the location of the devastation, according to rescue officials.

Weibo, the Chinese social media site, published a video of the dramatic blast showing a huge fireball erupting from the building, crumbling the walls, followed by massive plumes of gray smoke rising into the air once occupied by the upper levels of the building.

The explosion damaged several nearby buildings, one severely, as the only remains seen in the video is the skeleton of the building. Debris piles smoldered or were still on fire, alongside cars mangled and crushed in the streets.

According to the news, the initial determination by authorities for the cause of the explosion was a gas leak in the restaurant. However, they have not located the origin of the blast or the actual cause of the leak. The city’s authorities sent their emergency team to investigate the incident further.

Reports from local residents in the neighborhood have posted their observations on social media. One resident, Zhao Li, said that she thought someone had fired a gun after she heard the initial blast. She said that the police cordoned off the street on the northern side of the area.

Another resident stated that the explosion damaged the walls of a building on the opposite side of the street from the blast.

By the afternoon, authorities had evacuated nearby residents and extinguished any remaining fires, according to state news.