14 killed in northern China restaurant explosion

BEIJING (AP) — An explosion at a restaurant in northern China has killed 14 people and injured 47.

The government of Shouyang county in Shanxi province says on its official website that a gas leak caused the blast and triggered a fire Friday evening at the Xinyangyang hotpot restaurant.

The official Xinhua News Agency says six people were killed at the scene and eight others died at a hospital. Seventeen people were severely injured.

Xinhua says the explosion was so powerful that it shattered the windows of the two-story building that houses the restaurant and shops.

Hotpot dining is popular among Chinese, with diners gathering around a steaming pot in which they cook meats and vegetables.

Restaurant explosions are common in China, though a death toll this high is rare.