Chinese police have arrested four people as part of an investigation into Wednesday night’s explosion at a restaurant in the country’s northwest that left 31 people dead, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

The explosion, which injured seven others, was caused by a leak of liquefied petroleum gas, according to Chinese authorities.

The tragedy unfolded at a crowded barbecue restaurant in the city of Yinchuan on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day celebration during which many Chinese are with family members and friends.

The four suspects who were arrested – they are the owner, the manager and two shareholders of the restaurant – are accused of “negligently causing a serious accident” as part of the criminal investigation, New China clarified.

Local authorities have frozen their assets, as well as those of five other people, he added.

The day after the blast, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for every effort to “strengthen supervision and security in key industries and sectors to effectively protect the lives and livelihoods of citizens,” state television reported. CCTV.

Explosions of this nature and other fatal accidents are not uncommon in China, where safety regulations are often flouted. In addition, arbitrary constructions are numerous and can, especially in cases of fire, make it difficult or impossible for people to escape from inside buildings.

In September 2022, at least 17 people died when a fire broke out at a restaurant in Changchun (northeast), according to the official death toll released by the authorities at the time.

In January 2022, an explosion attributed to a gas leak in a canteen killed over ten people in Chongqing (southwest).

In June 2021, an explosion due to a gas leak killed 25 people in an apartment building in Xi’an (central).