A huge cooking gas explosion has left 31 people dead and a further seven injured at a barbecue restaurant in China, authorities in the country have revealed. The blast, which tore through the building on a busy Yinchuan street on Wednesday evening (June 21), occurred as revellers gathered to celebrate Thursday's Dragon Boat Festival holiday, reports the official Xinhua News Agency.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional holiday occurring on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, and is celebrated by holding boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi. It is a time of joy and cultural significance for many.
Yinchuan, meanwhile, has a population of around 2.3 million and is the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northwest of the country. The city is known for its unique cultural heritage.
This tragic incident has deeply impacted the community, casting a somber shadow over the festival celebrations. The authorities are working to investigate the cause of the explosion, while rescue efforts have been concluded. The occurrence of such industrial accidents in China is often associated with factors like poor government supervision, corruption, and cost-cutting measures, as highlighted by the Associated Press.
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