At least 10 people were killed and 157 were injured in an explosion at a prefabricated house in China on Monday. The blast occurred in the town of Sinmin in Shaanxi province and damaged several buildings, including a hospital.
According to Xinhua, the condition of at least 11 people injured was stated to be critical. A search and rescue operation is being conducted to find anyone buried under the rubble. At least six people have been pulled out of the rubble.
Local residents said that the blast in the area could have occurred because of illegally stored explosives in the affected building. The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained.
The investigators said that there was no evidence that the blast was a deliberate act. After initial probe, police and fire department officials said that the explosion occurred in a steel hut rented by a construction crew.
Blasts due to industrial explosives and poorly stored chemicals are fairly common in China. A series of massive explosions in the Chinese northern port city of Tianjin last year had killed over 170 people.
