BEIJING: At least 31 people were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a barbecue restaurant in the north-western Chinese city of Yinchuan, state media said Thursday.

The Wednesday night blast occurred on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, when many in China go out and socialise with friends.

The explosion took place around 8:40pm (1240 GMT) at the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant in a residential area of downtown Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia autonomous region. Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed more than a dozen firefighters working at the site as smoke poured out of a gaping hole in the restaurant’s facade. Shards of glass and other debris littered the darkened street, which is also home to a number of other eateries and entertainment venues.

Nine people, including the restaurant’s “owner, shareholders and staff”, were held by police following the explosion, CCTV said, adding that “their assets have been frozen”.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023