Barbecue restaurant explosion kills 31 in China

The death toll from an explosion which ripped through a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Wednesday night, has risen to 31, local authorities said on Thursday.

The blast happened at around 8:40 p.m. on a busy street in Xingqing District of Yinchuan, due to a leakage of liquefied petroleum gas from the operating area of a barbecue restaurant.

The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead despite rescue efforts, while seven individuals, including one in critical condition, are currently receiving medical treatment, according to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China.

A joint work team, including members from China's Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration for Market Regulation, was dispatched to the scene to guide the rescue work. Four medical experts went to the scene with the joint work team to carry out emergency medical assistance.

The local rescue team sent 102 people and 20 vehicles to the scene. The rescue operation came to an end at 4:00 a.m. on Thursday.