The death toll in a gas explosion and fire Thursday in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin province, has risen to three as two more critically injured victims died in hospital, local authorities said Friday.
The accident was likely triggered by a cooking gas leak as initial investigation found the blast occurred at some point on the gas pipeline in the first floor of a residential building, local authorities said, adding that its exact cause was still under investigation.
The blast occurred around 3:25 p.m. Thursday in an 18-storey building home to 144 households in the West Binhe District of Changchun. No one was killed at the scene, but one critically injured person died shortly after being taken to a local hospital.
There were still 10 injured people receiving treatment in two local hospitals, sources said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2002)
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