Four people are confirmed dead and several others injured in a
Shanghai gas station explosion on Saturday, police and witnesses
said.
One of the dead was a cyclist who was passing the gas station on
South Yanggao Road in the booming Pudong New District when the
blast went off at around 8:00 AM, said a policeman at the site.
He said identities of the other three dead are not immediately
known, and an investigation has been launched.
Strong vibrations caused by the blast also affected a passing
bus and injured several passengers on board, police said.
One witness, who gave only his surname as Quan, said he saw
thick smokes but no flame from the site. "Several vehicles nearby
were damaged," he said.
Photos posted at sina.com, a Chinese portal website, show window
panes of nearby buildings have been broken.
The gas station, an outlet of China National Petroleum
Corporation (CNPC), is said to be under renovation and will open
later this month.
CNPC's Shanghai branch refused to comment.
(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2007)