This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6272088.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Dozens die in China bar explosion Dozens die in China bar explosion
(about 2 hours later)
At least 25 people have been killed in an explosion at a karaoke bar in north-eastern China, reports say. An explosion at a karaoke bar in north-eastern China has killed 25 people, state media say.
A further 33 people were reportedly hurt in the explosion. A further 33 people were injured in the blast on Wednesday evening in Tianshifu town in Liaoning province, the Xinhua news agency reports, citing officials.
The blast took place on Wednesday evening in Tianshifu town in Liaoning province, the Xinhua news agency reports, citing local officials. Investigators are trying to establish whether the explosion was caused by accident or deliberately.
The cause of the blast is not known and investigators are trying to establish whether it was caused by accident or deliberately. Accidents in China's nightclubs are relatively common because of poor safety standards, correspondents say.
'Very loud noise'
A local resident told the AFP news agency that the two-storey karaoke bar was completely destroyed by the blast.
"There was a very loud noise and all the windows near the site were shattered," the man said.
He said that many of the victims were college students celebrating the end of examinations.
Investigators say they are looking into the cause of the explosion, but it is too early to draw any firm conclusions.
The top Communist Party official in the province has already ordered that anyone found responsible for the explosion should face harsh punishment.