SHANGHAI – China’s State Council Security Committee and municipal and provincial governments have held emergency videoconferences and issued warnings about fire hazards in the wake of a blast in China’s north-western Ningxia region on Wednesday that killed 31 people.

Separately, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued an emergency circular, urging all localities in the country to investigate “hidden dangers” and strengthen supervision and inspection.

Wednesday’s explosion at a barbecue restaurant prompted President Xi Jinping to order a safety overhaul across China, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks.

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

Following a hastily convened videoconference on Thursday, Beijing Mayor Yin Yong stressed that close attention should be paid to investigating and rectifying fire hazards.

Beijing’s municipal government and the provincial governments of Sichuan, Guizhou and Hainan have called attention to fire dangers and the need for safe handling of liquefied gas.

The explosion at the two-storey restaurant sparked discussion on Chinese social media about the safety of barbecue restaurants, which have gained new popularity in 2023 amid the lifting of zero-Covid curbs in China and hype among online influencers.

Seven people were still undergoing treatment for burns and cuts from broken glass as a result of the blast, which was triggered by a leaking liquefied petroleum gas tank at the restaurant, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

“All barbecue shops in the country should be shut down and rectified,” a Chinese social media user wrote on the popular Twitter-like microblog Weibo.

“Profits should not be earned with the blood of the people.”

The restaurant in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia and a tourist hub in the region, is well known locally and has a loyal following, according to media reports. The blast happened during peak dining hours, with high school students and retirees said to be among the dead.

The incident happened on the eve of a holiday long weekend as millions of tourists geared up to hit the road during the Dragon Boat Festival that started on Thursday.

Sichuan Governor Huang Qiang said his province would immediately carry out an investigation of gas safety hazards. REUTERS