A five-story apartment building in the center of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in China, was shook by an explosion on Thursday morning. According to reports from Chinese state internet, there have been no immediate deaths.
Eyewitnesses described the incident to Xinhua news, reporting that it took place at a building in downtown Harbin at the intersection of Xiangshun and Gongbin streets shortly after 7 am local time ( 2300 GMT ). An apartment on the fifth floor of the building was the source of the explosion.
According to the original document, residents in the area were startled by a strong blast that was thought to have been caused by a gas explosion. The explosion’s army swept through the entire structure, causing damage to both the balcony of the apartment building and the nearby balconies.
In response to the disaster, people were observed evacuating the grounds quickly. Emergency response teams including emergency services, public safety personnel, and firefighters immediately mobilized to the field for recovery efforts, as reported by Xinhua.
Sadly, gas-related situations have risen in frequency in China. A suspected oil leak earlier in March caused a destructive explosion at a restaurant in the state of Hebei. Two people died in the accident, and 26 people were injured, causing extensive damage to the surrounding structures and cars.
Authorities are now looking into the explosion’s trigger.
( With inputs from agencies )
