Dangerous chemicals stored next to an internet cafe in Guizhou exploded late on Saturday night, killing seven and injuring 37 others, local police said.
The Lianxun Internet Cafe in Kaili , which had 140 computers, was reduced to ruins by the explosion of chemicals stored illegally in an adjacent room, Xinhua reported.
Rescue work at the site is now complete, and the 37 wounded have been identified. Of those hurt, there were nine with severe injuries. Xinhua said the injured were admitted to local hospitals and remained in a stable condition.
Xinhua quoted an 18-year-old with facial burns, Long Jiuke, who arrived at the internet cafe half an hour before the blast to chat with friends online. 'Around 11pm, there was a loud bang and I felt crushed by the power of the blast,' he said.
'The next thing I knew, several broken desks were wedged against my body, and I had to force my way through the ruins to crawl out of the cafe.'
An initial investigation by Guizhou's provincial public security department yesterday found only one of the 45 people in the cafe was untouched by the blast and fire.
The disaster obliterated the cafe and shattered windows in nearby residential buildings.