Gas leakage blamed for fatal restaurant blast in east China

HANGZHOU, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaking gas was blamed for a restaurant blast that killed three and injured 44 in Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The blast occurred in a fish restaurant on July 21, leading to direct economic losses of over 7 million yuan (1.06 million U.S. dollars).

According to the provincial work safety administration, the initial blast was caused by an electric spark from a freezer compressor in the gas-saturated kitchen, igniting other fuels which led to the explosion of a 50-kg bottle of liquefied petroleum gas. The whole restaurant was engulfed in flames.

The administration said the restaurant had not passed the fire department inspection but was in operation, so the owner should bear legal responsibility.

The investigation team also suggested punishment of several local party and government officials, including a deputy head of the district. Enditem