Restaurant gas blast victims treated in hospital

People injured in an explosion at a hot pot restaurant in Shouyang, Shanxi Province that killed 14 dinners are receiving treatment for burns and inhalation of toxic fumes, said a medical worker at a local hospital.

A nurse surnamed Kang at the Taiyuan 264 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army told the Global Times Monday that 12 of the 35 injured who had been transferred to her hospital and are receiving treatment for a number of injuries.

"It's hard to see how severely they are injured. They are being treated for burns and they also suffered damage from inhaling toxic gas," said Kang.

The explosion happened at 7:52 pm Friday, during the busy dinner hour, at the Xiyangyang (Happy Lamb) Hot Pot Restaurant. Forty-seven people were injured.

The county government held a press conference Saturday afternoon and it also released an update Sunday morning.

The county government said of the 47 injured, 11 were in serious condition. They were transferred to the Taiyuan 264 Hospital, Taiyuan No.2 People's Hospital and General Hospital of Taiyuan Iron & Steel.

An initial investigation showed that a gas leak is the likely cause of the blast. The county government has ordered restaurants using gas tanks to cease operations and carry out a comprehensive safety inspection of their gas tanks.

According to witnesses, the explosion shattered windows of neighboring restaurants and shops as far as 20 meters away.

"I was leaving the restaurant when I heard someone tell the restaurant's boss they heard the sound of leaking gas. The boss said it wasn't a problem. When I passed the gate, the explosion occurred," Nan Lihua was quoted by the China Central Television's website as saying.

Investigators said they found 19 undamaged gas tanks at the restaurant.

The accident has again reminded the public of the dangers of using gas tanks, as similar accidents have occurred in the past. Web users not only worry about the commercial use of gas but also the safety of refillable gas canisters that are commonly used by households.

Regulations on gas tanks stipulate they cannot be used for more than 15 years and need to be tested every four years. Many people have used their portable gas tanks for much longer.

A gas explosion on November 14 last year at a small restaurant in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province killed 11 people.