BEIJING (AP) – An explosion at an apartment building in northeastern China killed one person and injured at least three others Thursday, state media reported.
Parts of the five-story apartment building in Harbin were damaged, with one apartment’s balcony completely blown off, videos on social media showed. Officials told local media that the explosion was likely from a natural gas tank.
One woman died of her injuries, according to Jimu News, a state-backed media outlet. Three others were taken to the hospital for their injuries.
A preliminary investigation found that a family in the apartment did not turn off their natural gas tank, often used in Chinese homes for cooking on gas stoves, according to Xinhua news agency.
Videos online showed at least one person being carted away by first responders into an ambulance and the streets covered in debris.
The explosion occurred at roughly 7 am. Harbin is the capital of China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province.
