ASTANA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were killed and 19 others injured in a powerful gas explosion that ripped through a cafe in the resort town of Shchuchinsk in northern Kazakhstan, local media reported Friday.
According to the reports, a gas-air mixture is believed to have ignited in the cafe, causing the blast that occurred overnight between Feb. 26 and 27. The explosion was followed by a fire in the one-story cafe attached to a residential building in Burabay district of Akmola region.
The fire has been fully extinguished, the regional emergency department said.
According to regional authorities, five of the dead were killed at the scene, and the other two succumbed to their injuries when treated in the intensive care unit. Among the dead was a 16-year-old girl.
Thirteen of the injured people remain hospitalized. Most victims suffered burns of varying severity, including several serious cases.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the blast, authorities said.
