One Firefighter Dies In Explosion At Changsha City Restaurant

A fire broke out at a restaurant in Changsha City. (photo: illustration of doc. between)

JAKARTA – A tragic event occurred in Changsha City. A restaurant in this city in Hunan Province, China, Wednesday, June 1 exploded, killing a firefighter and injuring 13 others.

The fire engine arrived moments after the fire engulfed the restaurant but had not yet exploded, local media quoted Antara as saying.

A merchant not far from the scene saw the fire engulf the restaurant and immediately contacted the police.

"At that time the fire was not that big and firefighters immediately entered the scene. Suddenly I heard the sound of an explosion," said the trader earlier.

The restaurant and the lottery shop next door were heavily damaged and the wall separating the two was also destroyed in the explosion.

Several shop owners near the site of the explosion said that the incident occurred in the morning, so it was still relatively empty of visitors.

The victims were immediately rushed to the hospital, while officers were still clearing the debris from the explosion. The case is still under investigation, according to local government staff.

Some time before, in Changsha, a six-story settlement collapsed, killing dozens of its residents.

The owner of the building was detained by local authorities to account for the incident.