SANHE (China): A huge suspected gas explosion at a restaurant in northern China killed two people and injured 26 more on Wednesday, state media reported, causing severe damage to buildings.
The blast occurred just before 8:00 am (0000 GMT), state broadcaster CCTV said, in a residential area in the city of Sanhe, Hebei province, less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the centre of Beijing.
Footage online circulated by state media showed a huge explosion that sent plumes of smoke and fire across a busy road.
CCTV reported Wednesday afternoon that two people had since died, 26 were injured and the fire had been extinguished.
The explosion was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak at a fried chicken shop, state media reported.
Two large buildings were completely destroyed in the blast, footage shared by the broadcaster showed, with rescue teams seen hauling away a car hit by the explosion.
Rescue workers can also be seen carrying away a large gas canister.
Journalists were prevented from reaching the blast site by local officials, who at times physically manhandled reporters attempting to approach the area.
Footage circulating on social media showed a team from CCTV being prevented from filming a live broadcast near the location of the explosion, with officials heard saying the scene remained dangerous.
In response to the incident, the All-China Journalists Association issued a statement Wednesday evening entitled “proper interviews are a journalist’s right” — a rare public showing of support for media rights in the country.
Residents told AFP journalists they had heard a loud explosion before rushing outside to see a plume of smoke rising into the morning air.
“I heard a great big bang... which scared me stiff,” a seller at a local market told AFP.
“Outside, I saw clouds of black smoke,” they added.
Another seller said they also heard a “huge bang” from the blast site, in a bustling area of squat apartment blocks about six or seven floors high.
“The noise was too loud,” a vendor surnamed Wang told AFP, adding she had heard a “second explosion”.
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