At least 16 killed in canteen gas explosion as more bodies found in rubble

It is thought the explosion in Chongqing on Friday was caused by a gas leak (Picture: Getty Images/AP)

The death toll of a devastating blast in a Chinese office building rose to 16 as rescuers searched through the wreckage.

It is thought a gas leak triggered the blast in a canteen in the southwestern city of Chongqing shortly after midday yesterday.

Rescue workers spent the night looking for fatalities and survivors and said 26 people had been taken from the site.

Of those, 16 people had lost their lives, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Many people injured in the blast were taken to hospital, one of whom was in a critical condition.

A team of more than 600 rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene, at a government subdistrict office in Wulong District.

The building collapsed after the explosion set off shortly after midday as workers ate lunch (Picture: @globaltimesnews)

Firefighters search for survivors in the rubble and say 16 people have died (Picture: China News Service)

A team to of more than 600 rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene (Picture: AP)

Many survivors were sent to hospital, one of whom was in a critical condition (Picture: China News Service)

Video footage shared on social media shows debris strewn across the street at the building collapses.

Rescuers could be seen using hand shovels to claw away some of the wreckage in a bid to free some of those trapped underneath.

China has suffered several gas explosions in recent years. In October, four people were killed and more than 30 injured when a blast tore through a restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

In June at least 12 people died in a huge gas explosion in Shiyan city, Hubei province.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

from News – Metro https://ift.tt/3q5YSOy