Beijing, January 8: A lunchtime explosion at an office cafeteria killed 16 people in southwest China on Friday and injured 10 others, authorities said.

A gas leak is the suspected cause of the blast, the Chongqing city government said in an online statement.

The cafeteria collapsed, trapping victims inside. Rescue workers searched the debris into the night and all the bodies were recovered by midnight, the official Xinhua News Agency said. One of the survivors was in critical condition, Xinhua said. Airstrike in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region Kills 3 Refugees, Including Kids: United Nations.

The 12.10 pm blast happened at a government subdistrict office in Wulong District, which is about 75 kilometres west of the Chongqing city center and known for its scenic karst rock formations.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)