At least 17 people were injured by an explosion that shocked a residential area in the province of Sani, Northern China. Smoke clouds were created from the explosion and broke windows in neighboring buildings, state media reported today.

The explosion occurred around 1:17 pm in Tayiuan, Sani province, the CCTV state network reported without mentioning the causes of the incident.

Video from the explosion circulating on social media shows many vehicles wrapped in flames outside a building and dense smoke coming out of cars and windows of some homes.

A total of 210 firefighters and 43 fire trucks were developed at the site of the explosion, CCTV reported.

The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management sent a team to coordinate rescue operations and ordered investigations from floor to floor to ascertain the number of trapped in the building.

The explosion occurred just a day after the fire that broke out in a restaurant in Liaoning province, northeast China (central photo), from which 22 people were killed.

Lianing authorities have announced today that the exact causes of the fire remain under investigation, but have ruled out the possibility of arson or gas explosion, CCTV said.

The first evidence reports that the victims trapped in the restaurant probably died of suffocation after inhaling a large amount of toxic gas as the fire quickly spread to flammable decoration materials, according to CCTV.

President Xi Jinping described the incident as “deeply frustrating lesson” and appealed to local officials to do everything they can to prevent such serious accidents.

The latest incidents have been following a series of similar accidents throughout China in recent years. Earlier in April, 20 people were killed by the fire that broke out in a retirement home in Heby, Northern China.