Seven individuals lost their lives and 27 others sustained injuries in an explosion that rocked Yanjiao town in Sanhe city, located in Hebei Province, China. The tragic incident, suspected to be caused by a gas leak, unfolded at 7:54 a.m. on Wednesday in a local food shop, as confirmed by the city’s emergency management bureau on Thursday.
Among the injured was Li Xiujuan and her grandson, who were caught in the devastation while ascending the stairs of the building where the explosion took place. Li recounted a fortuitous turn of events, as a cancelled Tai Chi practice likely saved her and her grandson from being directly in harm’s way during the explosion.
Rescuers swiftly came to their aid, with one kind individual offering his boot to Li’s grandson, who had lost a shoe in the chaos. Despite the shards of glass scattered on the ground, the rescuer valiantly ensured the young boy’s safety as they navigated the dangerous terrain.
The explosion also impacted the nearby dance studio on the upper floors of the building, where an elderly lady sustained injuries after falling during the chaos. Concerns were raised for a missing teammate named Qin Li, who was believed to have been in the stairwell at the time of the blast.
As the community grappled with the aftermath of the explosion, families anxiously awaited news of their loved ones, including the whereabouts of Qin Li. The incident also unfolded parallel to an elementary school, where students had just commenced their day, fortunately evading harm’s way.
Out of the 27 individuals injured, 14 have been released from medical care, while the rest are reported to be in stable condition. Authorities are diligently working on an investigation to unearth the root cause of the tragedy and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.