A massive explosion that occurred at a restaurant located in northern China's Hebei province on Wednesday claimed two lives and left more than 26 injured. The explosion happened during the rush hour just before 8:00 am (0000 GMT) and is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. As per state broadcaster CCTV, the blast occurred in a residential area in the city of Sanhe in the Hebei province, less than 50 kilometres east of the capital Beijing. It also stated that the explosion was suspected to have occurred at a fried chicken shop in the city.
As per reports, the fire has been extinguished and residents living within 500 metres of the site have been evacuated.
A statement issued by fire officials stated that 36 vehicles and 154 people were dispatched to the site to carry out rescue work, Reuters reported.
Following the blast, its video was circulated on Chinese social media site Weibo which showed a large fireball exploding from a multistory building. The blast destroyed the building's walls and ceilings and thick plumes of smoke from the building can be seen billowing into the sky.
As per CNN's report, at least three buildings were severely damaged by the explosion and one was left in a skeletal state. It also stated that the residents shared on social media that they heard a loud bang in the morning and felt that their buildings were trembling.
The footage aired on CCTV showed that the buildings across the street where the blast occurred were also impacted. The blast left their glass shattered and shop signs damaged, CNN reported.
"I heard a great big bang... which scared me stiff," AFP quoted a seller at the local market saying. "Outside, I saw clouds of black smoke," stated another eyewitness.
Another seller told AFP that they heard a "huge bang" from the blast site, situated in the busy area of squat apartment blocks which was around six to seven floors high.
"I was at home when I heard a loud blast, I initially thought it might be a gunshot," Reuters quoted Zhao Li, a middle-aged woman who lives about a kilometer away from the blast site saying.
China's latest deadly gas explosion at an eatery occurred after the government issued detailed guidelines on the use of gas appliances and cookers last year to reduce safety risks.