A government statement said the blast occurred at 7.54am in Sanhe county of Langfang in northern Hebei province, which neighbours the country’s capital, reported The South China Moring Post.

The blast reported occurred in a restaurant.

According to reports, 26 people were recovered from the scene of the blast by afternoon.

The wounded people, mostly suffering from minor injuries, were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Several footage of the moment of the blast are currently circulating on Chinese social media outlets.

Sanhe emergency department told The South China Morning Post that the municipal fire department sent 36 vehicles and 154 personnel to the scene.

Videos circulating on the internet showed firefighters working hard to douse the flame.