Japan restaurant blast kills one, injures more than a dozen - reports

Media showed footage of the restaurant reduced to a shell, with windows shattered in nearby buildings and pieces of metal and glass scattered around the block. Some Twitter users in the area said they heard a loud bang at the time of the explosion and could smell gas.

An explosion at a hotpot restaurant in Japan killed one person and injured more than a dozen, media reported on Thursday. The Onyasai restaurant in Fukushima was undergoing repairs, according to its owner, casual dining group Colowide Co , which operates a chain of the restaurants.

The company issued a statement apologising to the victims and said it was working with authorities to determine the cause. Media showed footage of the restaurant reduced to a shell, with windows shattered in nearby buildings and pieces of metal and glass scattered around the block.

Some Twitter users in the area said they heard a loud bang at the time of the explosion and could smell gas.