Beijing, Mar 15: In a rare show of defiance, Chinese media on Thursday protested against the attempts by police to block the coverage of a suspected gas leak explosion at an eatery in the country’s north, which killed seven people and injured 27 others.The blast that rocked a fried chicken shop in Yanjiao township in the city of Sanhe, near Beijing, on Wednesday is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak.
As Chinese official media and foreign journalists rushed to cover the explosion, which killed two people and injured 27 others, they were forcibly prevented by local authorities from the scene, raising a rare controversy over the countryās press restrictions.
A journalist with state broadcaster CCTV was interrupted while reporting live from the scene of the blast. The journalist was seen surrounded by several uniformed police officers who blocked the camera and shouted about the potential danger at the scene, according to a video that circulated online.
When questioned on restrictions imposed on journalists, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said local officials have issued a statement on the incident.
China welcomes foreign journalists conducting reporting activities under the law and is willing to facilitate if the media faces any problems, Wang said.
Fire and gas explosions have been taking place almost every month, prompting President Xi to order the concerned agencies to take pre-emptive measures.
Fifteen people were killed and 44 others injured in a building fire in Nanning city in China last month, while 39 were killed and nine others injured in a building fire that broke out in Xinyu city in east China’s Jiangxi Province on January 24.
Fatal fires in China are not uncommon due to lax enforcement of building and safety standards.
On January 20, at least 13 students were killed when a fire broke out in a school dormitory in central China’s Henan province. All the victims were third-grade students.