The 41 people who were injured by a blast at a karaoke parlor in
northeast China's Liaoning Province are recovering in a stable
condition in nearby hospitals, local health authorities
announced.
Four people are in a serious condition, while 37 others suffered
broken ribs, various fractures and chest injuries, stated the
supervising doctor.
One seriously wounded person has been transferred to Benxi City
Central Hospital, with the others variously hospitalized at the
Benxi County No. 1 hospital or at a hospital in Tianshifu Township,
said Jiang Yongcheng, deputy director of the Benxi County Health
Bureau.
Liaoning provincial authorities have sent a team of a dozen
medical experts to Benxi County to aid the treatment.
The explosion happened at a karaoke parlor in Tianshifu Township
in the Manchu Nationality Benxi Autonomous County in China's
industrial rust belt on Wednesday night, killing 25 on the spot.
The blast destroyed the two-storey and damaged some nearby
buildings.?
While the parlor's manager was numbered among the dead, his wife
and several employees are being interviewed.
Although little information is available so far on the cause of
the blast, the Beijing News reported that explosives had
been stored in the basement for use in the owner Qu Hua's other
business, a coal mine. The paper also counted that guests at a
birthday party and students celebrating the end of their exams had
been among the dead.
(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2007)