Death toll climbs to 7 in huge northern China blast
Local government officials in China's Sanhe county near Beijing said on Thursday they had started an investigation into the cause of a massive explosion at a shop selling fried chicken that left seven dead and 27 injured. Officials said that 14 people had been discharged from the hospital, and that the initial indications were that a gas leak had caused the blast. The blast occurred just before 8am on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV said, in a residential area in the city of Sanhe, Hebei province, less than 50 kilometres 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 the fire had been extinguished. The explosion was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak at the 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. (Agencies)