2 injured in barbecue restaurant blast in China
- Investigation under way into explosion and fire that destroyed two-storey facility in Huaian, Jiangsu province
- Incident comes just days after seven people died in a blast from a gas pipeline leak
State broadcaster CCTV said the explosion occurred at 4.23pm at a restaurant in Huaian, igniting a fire that was extinguished by Saturday evening.
The report did not say what caused the blast.
The city’s emergency management bureau said the two people did not have life-threatening injuries.
Video circulating on social media showed the ground and first floors of the building housing the restaurant blackened, windows and doors smashed and smoke pouring out of the remains of the structure.
Mainland media quoted the restaurant’s owner as saying that a cook had been injured and taken to hospital.
Huaian has a population of 4.55 million and is about 400km (250 miles) northwest of Shanghai.
The explosion came three days after seven people died and 27 others were injured in a blast in Yanjiao, a commuter town in Hebei province near Beijing.
03:23
Chinese state media blocked from deadly blast site, raising rare controversy over press controls
Officials said the blast was caused by a gas pipeline leak.
