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China blast wounds 2 in third restaurant explosion in under a week

A pressure cooker exploded at a braised meat restaurant, with the powerful blast damaging nearby motor vehicles and buildings, reports say.

Reuters
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Police patrol in the Causeway Bay shopping district of Hong Kong on June 4. Photo: AFP
Police patrol in the Causeway Bay shopping district of Hong Kong on June 4. Photo: AFP

A blast at an eatery in northwest China's Gansu province injured two on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, the third in a series of restaurant explosions in less than a week that have prompted a nationwide push to stem out fire hazards.

A pressure cooker exploded at a braised meat restaurant on Monday morning, with the powerful blast damaging nearby motor vehicles and buildings, CCTV reported.

On June 21, a gas explosion at a barbecue eatery killed 31 in northwestern Ningxia region in one of the deadliest blasts in recent years, prompting President Xi Jinping to call on all regions to rectify safety risks.

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The state council, or cabinet, and local governments quickly issued warnings and called for in-depth investigations into "hidden dangers" to stamp out fire hazards.

On Friday, an explosion due to a gas leak in the central city of Zhengzhou caused a house to collapse, burying four people, all of whom were later rescued.

Accidents due to gas blasts are not uncommon in China, despite years of efforts to improve safety.