BEIJING (AP) — An explosion caused by a suspected gas leak ripped through a building in northern China on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 26 others, authorities said.
The blast occurred early in the morning at a fried chicken shop in the city of Sanhe, authorities said in a short statement. The city is around 63 kilometers (39 miles) east of Beijing.
Police cordoned off streets 1 kilometer (over half a mile) around the explosion, Associated Press reporters saw, and were directing people away.
Fire engines were dispatched to the scene and a truck could be seen hauling away a burnt-out car with its windows gone. Most of the original building is gone, with only part of its frame remaining above piles of rubble.
Over 150 firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control, according to national broadcaster CCTV. Videos online showed smoke billowing out of a mid-level commercial building at an intersection.
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AP video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.
Huizhong Wu, The Associated Press
