Restaurant explosion kills 31 people in north-west China

A massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China has killed 31 people and injured seven. The blast happened at around 8.40pm local time on Wednesday in Yinchan, the capital of the Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as people were gathering on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. A woman cited by Chinese publication, The Paper, claimed she had been some 50m from the restaurant when she heard the bang. She said thick smoke streamed from the restaurant and a strong smell of cooking gas was in the air. Two waiters came out of the…