China cooking gas explosion kills 1, reignites safety concerns

A blast at an eatery in eastern China's Jiangsu province killed one and wounded another on Monday, local officials said, reigniting public concerns about the safety of cooking gas tanks after a series of similar accidents last month.

A tank at a barbecue restaurant exploded at 6.02am (2202 GMT) on Monday, authorities of Yancheng city in Jianhu county said in a statement.

The owner of the restaurant has been detained by police, they said, and an investigation is underway.

In June, a gas explosion at a barbecue eatery killed 31 in northwestern Ningxia region, one of the deadliest blasts in recent years, prompting President Xi Jinping to order officials to address safety risks across the country.

Two other restaurant explosions followed in less than a week, including one in Gansu province that injured two.

After Monday's incident, concerns and criticism resurfaced on China's popular microblog site Weibo.

"Have we not learned our lesson?" questioned one user.

Accidents due to gas and chemical explosions are not uncommon in China despite years of efforts to improve safety.

"Those who run barbecue restaurants should all conduct self-checks," said another user.