Xi urges all-out rescue work after NW China BBQ restaurant explosion

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday demanded all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and an enhanced safety overhaul after a barbecue restaurant explosion in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for more efforts to ensure the safety of the people and their property.

The explosion, which ripped through a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, on Wednesday night left 31 dead and seven injured, local authorities said on Thursday.

Xi said the cause of the accident should be ascertained as soon as possible and the relevant people should be held accountable in accordance with the law.

All regions and related departments should screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers, he added, and relevant departments should launch a campaign to promote workplace safety at an early date and enhance a safety overhaul of key sectors and industries.

On Xi’s instruction, a working group composed of officials from several central government organs has been sent to the scene to guide the rescue efforts.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Cover: Rescuers work at the scene after a blast hit a restaurant in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 21, 2023. /CFP)