On June 11th (Thursday), in the early hours, an explosion occurred in Xing’an County, Guilin City, Guangxi, resulting in at least 7 deaths and over 30 injuries.
Many videos taken by netizens at the scene showed the massive power of the explosion, with a two-story balcony of a residential building destroyed, nearby structures’ doors, windows, and walls damaged, leaving the area in chaos.
Netizens expressed their shock with comments like, “Massive explosion on Lingxiang Road! So terrifying! My home is two kilometers away, and even my windows shattered!” Another said, “For the first time in my life, I thought only my home was damaged, but all the glass on the street was shattered.” Someone lamented, “It’s a whole street of residential buildings, not just one family. My cousin was sleeping at home and died in the blast.”
According to a local resident speaking to reporters, the explosion happened twice, “The windows of most houses on the street across the road were shattered, and even the windows on the lower floor of my house broke. It happened right here at Shui Street.”
Another resident mentioned, “My mother’s house is close by, just a fifteen-minute walk away. My mother said the windows and walls were shaking; she thought it was an earthquake. Some people went to see what was happening and got killed in the explosion.”
“A friend of mine lived opposite the explosion. After the first blast, he and his mother went out to assess the situation, but the second blast occurred, killing them both,” a friend of the deceased told a reporter. “My friend was in his thirties, leaving behind only his son and wife. Luckily, he didn’t take his son out at that time.”
Regarding the cause of the explosion, the resident mentioned that there are rumors circulating that it was caused by a 70-year-old man from Shuibai Village using a bomb. However, this information has not been confirmed and remains hearsay. Another local individual stated, “It was intentional. An elderly man was deceived and sought revenge on society. It wasn’t explosives; something unknown exploded. He probably didn’t realize the magnitude of the impact.”
However, some netizens mentioned, “I saw someone saying a car exploded and caught fire in the morning.” Another added, “It seems like a wire or something was hit by the first explosion, fell onto a nearby car, which then exploded in the second blast.”
As of now, authorities have not confirmed the cause of the explosion. The Xing’an County Public Security Bureau reported that they have ruled out the explosion being caused by factors like gas pipeline issues; the specific cause is still under investigation.
According to mainland news reports, the explosion may have occurred at a hardware store location. Nearby residents reported severe damage to surrounding shops and residential buildings, with some structures’ exterior walls charred and windows shattered. To ensure safety, residents in the affected area have been relocated to nearby hotels.
Medical staff at Xing’an County Hospital told The Beijing News that they have treated over 30 injured individuals, with 8 in serious condition, but none in life-threatening danger. Among them is a child over 2 years old and a patient with a brain hemorrhage who was unconscious upon arrival but has since regained consciousness.