2 die, 25 hurt in gas explosion in Beijing

A gas explosion at a bakery in downtown Beijing on Wednesday morning killed two people and injured 25, municipal police said.

The blast occurred in a Golden Phoenix Bakery on Guangming Road in the capital's Dongcheng district at around 7:30 am.

A preliminary investigation said a liquefied petroleum gas leak caused the accident, police said. The injured were being treated in nearby hospitals, police said.

The municipal fire control bureau sent nine fire engines to the scene, and firefighters moved two gas tanks containing 50 kg each of liquefied gas from the bakery after extinguishing the blaze.

When a China Daily reporter arrived at the scene at about 11 am, glass fragments were still lying on the ground, and seven police officers blocked the bakery entrance and kept order in that area.

"I heard the loud explosion in the morning, and then black smoke filled the bakery," said an eyewitness named Wang who runs a flower and gift shop opposite the cake store.

Wang, who was on the second floor of his shop when the explosion occurred, found his car badly damaged after he rushed downstairs.

"The bakery's door frame fell right over my car, while its windows were broken. I couldn't imagine how powerful the blast was," he said, adding that the bakery's shelves were also blown away.

A resident who declined to be identified said that a taxi that was driving past the bakery during the explosion had all its windows broken.

"The taxi driver fell to the ground as he opened the door," he added.