In recent news from Linzhang County, Handan City, Hebei Province, a gas explosion occurred in a residential building in Wubei Village, Yecheng Town. The explosion, which took place on July 24, resulted in the tragic loss of three lives and injuries to three others. Among the victims was Xu, the village director of Wubei Village, and some of his family members.
According to Xu’s son, who spoke to Da Wan News on July 28, the explosion happened suddenly while they were preparing to fertilize the fields in the morning. His father, uncle, and uncle’s brother lost their lives in the explosion, while his mother and 13-year-old daughter were hospitalized with injuries, along with several others suffering minor injuries.
The son mentioned that the gas company had conducted maintenance work at their home the day before the explosion occurred. He expressed confusion and suspicion, implying a potential connection between the gas company’s visit and the tragic incident that followed.
A neighbor from the same village, Mr. Li, living just a wall away from Xu’s family, captured the moment of the explosion on his surveillance camera. The footage showed the building being torn apart by a deafening blast at 6 am, followed by debris flying in all directions and a cloud of dust enveloping the area. The once tidy courtyard was instantly transformed into chaos.
Mr. Li shared that the explosion caused severe damage to his second-floor house, and in the following days, several inspection teams came to evaluate the extent of the structural damage caused to the homes in the vicinity.
After the incident, some netizens raised concerns about the local government’s response, accusing them of swiftly replacing damaged doors and windows near the site, demolishing the affected houses, isolating the victims’ families, and attempting to downplay and cover up the incident. Communication with the gas company was reportedly challenging, with the government trying to downplay the situation and avoid accountability.