Seven dead and several injured after explosion in Chinese restaurant

An explosion due to a probable gas leak in a restaurant took place in Sanhe, a Chinese city less than 50 km from Beijing, on Wednesday, killing seven people and injuring 27 others.

The explosion occurred shortly before 8 a.m. (local time) in Sanhe, a city located in a large suburb from where many residents commute every day to work in Beijing.

A gas leak in a restaurant

The explosion took place “in an old residential area”, state television CCTV reported, specifying that the presumed cause of the disaster was a gas leak in a fried chicken restaurant.

A toll revised upwards in the evening shows at least seven dead and 27 injured, according to the official China New agency.

Images on Chinese social media show a loud explosion followed by thick smoke and flames above a busy road during rush hour. In other images, we see a collapsed building and several destroyed cars.