At least 31 people are dead and seven others are injured after an explosion occurred in a barbecue restaurant on a busy street in northern China Wednesday night.
The blast was caused by a leak in a liquified gas tank inside the restaurant and took place around 8:40 p.m., state broadcaster CCTV said. The restaurant is located in Yinchuan, the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
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It was a momentous night in the city on Wednesday as people gathered on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Xinhua News Agency said. The national holiday involves eating rice dumplings and racing boats manned by teams of paddlers, according to the Associated Press.
The seven injured people were still undergoing treatment Wednesday night for burns and cuts from broken glass, with one in critical condition, state media reported.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered stronger safety checks in the wake of the explosion, and he told authorities to do everything they could to treat the wounded, saying safety supervision in key industries and sectors should be strengthened, Chinese state television reported.
Yinchuan has a population of about 1,902,000 people.