Police identify cause of Yinchuan restaurant explosion

The cause of a restaurant explosion in Yinchuan was the unauthorized replacement of a pressure reducing valve, a police bulletin said on Saturday.

Yinchuan Police said in a statement they have been working with related authorities to investigate the accident since the restaurant explosion on Wednesday. They found that the head of the barbecue restaurant, surnamed Hai, and a member of staff, surnamed Li, violated safety management regulations by replacing the pressure reducing valve connected with the liquefied gas tank. It resulted in a liquefied gas leak, triggering an explosion, and causing 31 deaths, including Hai and Li, and 7 injuries.

The restaurant's legal representative, surnamed Ma, and three shareholder controllers, surnamed Zhang, Liu and Suo, have been taken into criminal detention on suspicion of negligently causing a serious accident.

On Saturday morning, Liang Yanshun, Party secretary of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, visited those injured in the gas explosion at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Daily reported.

Liang requested the hospital to strictly comply with relevant national regulations and standards to ensure medical quality and safety, and strengthen treatment and management of the injured.

Liang also demanded that relevant departments conduct a serious investigation into the accident and hold related parties accountable to ensure that similar accidents do not occur again.