9 held after China restaurant gas tank blast kills 31 on eve of Dragon Boat Festival
- Those detained over the explosion in Ningxia’s regional capital Yinchuan include the restaurant’s boss, shareholders and staff
- City’s mayor announces month-long safety checks and says ‘The cost is extremely heavy and the lesson is extremely painful’
Another seven were injured in the blast in the regional capital Yinchuan, which is believed to have been caused when a tank of liquefied petroleum gas exploded during the restaurant’s peak dining hours at around 8.40pm.
State news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday that those arrested included the owner of the Fuyang restaurant, its shareholders and staff. The business has also had its assets frozen.
Local firefighters worked until 4am on Thursday morning to recover the dead and injured from the scene.
A news video shown by state broadcaster CCTV showed broken glass pouring from the building along with billowing smoke, while ambulances waited in the street as the firefighters raced to rescue the victims.
The National Health Commission said that all of the injured are being treated at the Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, with none in life-threatening condition.
This explosion was the worst accident the whole Ningxia region has had in many years.
The city’s mayor Tao Shaohua told a press conference on Thursday night: “The cost is extremely heavy and the lesson is extremely painful.”