China Gas Pipeline Blast Injures 24

A gas pipeline operated by China National Petroleum Corp exploded on Sunday night in Guizhou Province in southwest China, injuring 24 people, with three in critical condition. The blast occurred in the Shazi District of Qianxinan city in Guizhou Province, Xinhua reported. No deaths have been reported. Footage from state TV showed glare from the fire lighting up nearby buildings after the explosion on Sunday night. The fire was out as of 2:30 a.m. on Monday, the municipal government of Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture said on its official Weibo account. The pipeline is an extension of a Myanmar-China gas line that delivers natural gas from Kyaukpyu on Myanmar’s coast to southwest China. After the explosion at 11:20 p.m. on Sunday, automatic safety control systems closed the pipeline. The cause of the accident is under investigation, said the report, and search and rescue operations are continuing.