Ten people, including diners and restaurant employees, are
injured in an explosion in a hotel near Beijing's busiest street of
Wangfujing at lunch time on Saturday.
The
Beijing News reports all the injured are out of
danger, while five employees of the Dongfangrenjia Hotel suffered
severe burn injuries.
Medical staff in Jishuitan Hospital said all the five are in
stable conditions, but they need treatment at hospital for several
days.
Firemen identified a gas leak in the kitchen was the cause of
the accident that made glass windows and gates of the hotel break
up and the ceiling cracked.
An employee with the hotel, surnamed Wang, witnessed the
accident. He said the burst occurred under a cooking stove with a
loud sound when a chef tried to re-ignite the stove after the fire
suddenly went out.
Police blocked the site after the blast and briefly prohibited
people nearby from using mobile phones for fears of more
explosions.
According to an official with Beijing Fire Control Bureau the
hotel has been required to close after the accident to conduct a
self-exam and will receive a safety check before the re-open.
(CRI January 7, 2007)
