Deadly blast rocks Net cafe
Source: Xinhua |
December 6, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
STACKS of illegally stored chemicals in a shop next door to an Internet cafe exploded late Saturday night in southwest Guizhou Province, leaving seven killed and 37 injured, eight of them severely.
The explosion, caused by sodium nitrite and other explosive chemicals, occurred in Kaili City, Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, at about 11pm.
The blast flattened the shop and ripped through the Internet cafe, which is nestled under a bridge. A fire followed the explosion.
Six people were killed at the scene and one woman died of extensive burns after emergency treatment in hospital, officials said yeserday.
Forty-five people were in the cafe when the explosion occurred. Only one of them escaped unharmed.
Police have detained Wu Zhanzhi for illegal possession of chemicals. The Internet cafe's boss, Chen Chenggui, and manager, Xing Guangchang, both in their 20s, were also in police custody.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, which overseas operations of Internet cafes, ordered nationwide safety checks of entertainment venues following the blast.
Safety watchdogs should increase the times and frequency of inspection of Internet cafes and other entertainment venues and severely punish violators to ensure these cultural venues' safety, Vice Minister Ouyang Jian said in a circular.
In Kaili, the injured were being treated in local hospitals. A statement from the Kaili government said all were in a stable condition.
Long Xianze, deputy head of Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture Hospital, said the seriously injured were out of danger. The most severe case is a man who suffered burns over 35 percent of his body.
"I was chatting online when the blast knocked me over. I pushed away a wrecked desk that had landed on me and managed to climb out," 18-year-old Long Jiuke said from his hospital bed.
"The ceiling fell down after the blast. Someone pushed me down in the chaos, others stamped on me," said a female student of Qiandongnan Prefecture Middle School, who declined to give her name. She had burns on her face.
Investigators are working to identify the bodies of the dead, one of whom was a child. Xinhua news agency reporters heard that middle school students were among the injured. But it was not immediately clear how many children were among the casualties.
Internet cafes are not allowed by law to receive people under 18 years old in China.
The Internet cafe, with 140 computers, had been operating with a license for a number of years, police said.
"The location and environment of the cafe is not safe. We will find out who approved its operation and who was in charge of safety supervision. They will be held responsible," said Li Feiyue, head of Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
The explosion, caused by sodium nitrite and other explosive chemicals, occurred in Kaili City, Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, at about 11pm.
The blast flattened the shop and ripped through the Internet cafe, which is nestled under a bridge. A fire followed the explosion.
Six people were killed at the scene and one woman died of extensive burns after emergency treatment in hospital, officials said yeserday.
Forty-five people were in the cafe when the explosion occurred. Only one of them escaped unharmed.
Police have detained Wu Zhanzhi for illegal possession of chemicals. The Internet cafe's boss, Chen Chenggui, and manager, Xing Guangchang, both in their 20s, were also in police custody.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, which overseas operations of Internet cafes, ordered nationwide safety checks of entertainment venues following the blast.
Safety watchdogs should increase the times and frequency of inspection of Internet cafes and other entertainment venues and severely punish violators to ensure these cultural venues' safety, Vice Minister Ouyang Jian said in a circular.
In Kaili, the injured were being treated in local hospitals. A statement from the Kaili government said all were in a stable condition.
Long Xianze, deputy head of Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture Hospital, said the seriously injured were out of danger. The most severe case is a man who suffered burns over 35 percent of his body.
"I was chatting online when the blast knocked me over. I pushed away a wrecked desk that had landed on me and managed to climb out," 18-year-old Long Jiuke said from his hospital bed.
"The ceiling fell down after the blast. Someone pushed me down in the chaos, others stamped on me," said a female student of Qiandongnan Prefecture Middle School, who declined to give her name. She had burns on her face.
Investigators are working to identify the bodies of the dead, one of whom was a child. Xinhua news agency reporters heard that middle school students were among the injured. But it was not immediately clear how many children were among the casualties.
Internet cafes are not allowed by law to receive people under 18 years old in China.
The Internet cafe, with 140 computers, had been operating with a license for a number of years, police said.
"The location and environment of the cafe is not safe. We will find out who approved its operation and who was in charge of safety supervision. They will be held responsible," said Li Feiyue, head of Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
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