Beijing: At least 12 people were killed and more than 100 others injured after a gas explosion tore through a residential community in central China on Sunday, official media reported.
The blast took place at about 6:30 am local time in the Zhangwan district of Shiyan city in Hubei province, trapping a large number of people.
The explosion left 12 people dead. Authorities have rescued nearly 150 people from the area, including 39 with serious injuries, and rushed them to hospitals, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Images and video footages circulating on social media platform Weibo show showed rescue workers working through the wreckage of flattened houses.
The exact number of casualties is still being verified as the search and rescue is underway, the report said.