What’s new: The death toll from an explosion at a restaurant in North China’s Hebei province has risen to seven, with 27 others injured, local authorities said early Thursday.
The explosion, suspected to be the result of a gas leak, occurred during morning rush hour Wednesday at a fried chicken joint in the town of Yanjiao in Sanhe city, authorities said.
The injured had all been rushed to hospital, Sanhe’s emergency management bureau said in a statement early Thursday morning. Fourteen had been discharged from the hospital, and no lives remain in danger.
The cause of the blast remains under investigation, the statement said.
What’s more: Sanhe authorities have apologized for preventing some journalists, including several from state broadcaster CCTV, from working near the blast site, according to a statement published Thursday on the city government website.
On Wednesday, a video circulating online showed a CCTV reporter who was covering the blast live being interrupted by several security guards. Another video showed two other CCTV reporters getting manhandled by security guards.
These images sparked outrage on Chinese social media, with many calling for journalists’ access to be guaranteed.
The Sanhe authorities blamed the incidents on frontline staff’s poor communication skills and rough tactics. The incidents “exposed shortcomings in our work, and we express our deep remorse and apologize to CCTV and other media reporters,” they added.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
