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Death toll from gas blast in central China rises to 25
Updated 21:00, 14-Jun-2021
CGTN
Rescuers work at the scene of a gas pipe blast in Zhangwan District of Shiyan City, central China's Hubei Province. /CFP

Rescuers work at the scene of a gas pipe blast in Zhangwan District of Shiyan City, central China's Hubei Province. /CFP

A total of 25 people have now been confirmed dead after a gas pipe explosion in the Zhangwan District of Shiyan City, central China's Hubei Province on Sunday, local officials said on Monday.

Thirty-five people who were trapped under debris had been rescued as of 2 p.m. on Monday. Search and rescue operations continue. 

The Work Safety Committee of China's State Council will supervise an investigation into the deadly explosion, the Ministry of Emergency Management said Monday.

The blast occurred on Sunday morning at a two-story building in a residential community. Nineteen stores, including drugstores and eateries, were on the building's first floor, while the second floor consisted of activity rooms and had no dwellers.

The ministry, together with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and other departments, has launched a special campaign to ensure gas safety in wholesale markets and catering businesses, among other workplaces.

Working groups from central departments have been sent to guide the handling of the accident, while a national medical team has also been dispatched to Shiyan.

Read more:

Gas explosion in central China city kills at least a dozen, rescue underway

(With input from Xinhua)

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