At least 31 dead in the explosion of a restaurant in the city of Yinchuan, China

June 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least 31 people have been killed and seven others injured by an explosion at a restaurant in the city of Yinchuan, capital of north-central China’s Ningxia region.

As reported by the Xinhua news agency, a gas leak caused an explosion at the Fuyang Barbecue restaurant in the city. The injured have been taken to the hospital, one of them being in critical condition. In addition, the rest have burns, mild symptoms and glass cuts, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The incident took place around 8:40 p.m. (local time), but the authorities have not confirmed the number of victims until twelve hours later, around 8:00 a.m. this Thursday. 20 vehicles and 102 agents of the local Fire Department have participated in the operation.

The head of the Department of Emergency Management, Wang Xiangxi, has sent a task force to the scene of the event, where work has been organized to search and rescue the victims. Thus, he has ordered to do everything possible to reduce casualties and find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, CCTV reports.