HUBEI: At least 12 people were killed and 138 were injured in a huge gas explosion in central China on Sunday, state media reported.
A gas pipe exploded in the Zhangwan district of Shiyan city, in Hubei province at about 6:30 am local time.
The number of casualties is still being verified as the search and rescue operation is underway.
According to the local authorities, a total of 150 people have been pulled from the debris, and the injured are being treated at local hospitals.
Apparently, the explosion destroyed a wet market there and greatly affected nearby residents.
“Hearing the loud bang, I immediately scrabbled beneath the table, thinking it was an earthquake,” a resident surnamed Liu, told the Global Times via phone.
Images are circulating on social media, which appeared to be from the scene, showed rescue workers in orange jumpsuits working through the wreckage of flattened houses.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, according to the city government, which informed on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.
Rescue operation is underway and more details are awaited.