At least 31 people were killed and seven others injured when a massive cooking gas explosion ripped through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China on the eve of the Dragon Boat festival, official media reported on Thursday.

The blast happened at around 8:40 pm (local time) on Wednesday on a busy street in the Xingqing District of Yinchuan, because of a LPG leakage from the kitchen area of a barbecue restaurant, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

Nine people, including the owner of the restaurant, were detained.

The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead, while seven individuals, including one in critical condition, are currently receiving medical treatment, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) said.

AP/PTI