Chinese authorities convene safety conference following restaurant blast

By Reuters June 22, 2023 | 08:45 pm PT

Firefighters work at the fire scene following a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan city, Ningxia, China, on June 21, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a video handed out by Reuters

China's State Council Security Committee and Beijing's municipal government both held emergency video conferences on Thursday to discuss fire hazards and safety in the wake of a blast in China's northwest that killed 31 on Wednesday.

Separately, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued an emergency circular, urging all localities to investigate "hidden dangers" and strengthen supervision and inspection.

Wednesday's explosion at a BBQ restaurant prompted President Xi Jinping to order a safety overhaul across China, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks and "hidden dangers".

Another deadly fire at a hospital in Beijing in April killed 29 people.

Following Thursday's conference, Beijing mayor Yin Yong stressed that close attention should be paid to investigating and rectifying fire hazards.