Early Morning Explosion Shakes Harbin Apartment Building

An explosion rocked a five-story apartment building in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, early Thursday morning. No casualties have been reported yet. Local witnesses suspect it was a gas explosion, causing significant damage. Emergency personnel quickly responded to the scene for rescue operations. Gas explosions are commonly reported incidents in China.

An explosion occurred at a five-story apartment building in China's Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, with no immediate reports of casualties, according to Chinese state media on Thursday morning.

Witnesses told Xinhua news that the explosion happened after 7 a.m. (2300 GMT) at a building located at the intersection between Xiangshun and Gongbin streets in downtown Harbin. Xinhua said the explosion was at an apartment on the fourth floor of the building.

Local residents heard a loud explosion, and suspected it was a gas explosion, according to the report. The blast rattled the balcony of the apartment and several other balconies in nearby apartments. People were seen running out of the building. Ambulance, public security and fire personnel arrived at the site for rescue, Xinhua reported.

Gas explosions are a regular occurrence in China. In March, two people were killed and 26 injured after a suspected gas leak

caused a massive blast at a restaurant in China's northern province of Hebei that ripped facades from buildings and severely damaged cars.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)