A gas explosion after a partial building collapse in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin yesterday morning left three people missing and 11 injured.
The event remains under investigation, but it appears to point to the deterioration of infrastructure following more than three decades of breakneck economic growth.
Three floors of the six-story building collapsed. The official Xinhua News Agency reported the subsequent explosion occurred around 7:15 a.m.
China is replacing decades-old infrastructure, with natural gas lines used for cooking, heat and power generation a particular concern.
A 2013 blast in the northeastern port of Qingdao killed 62 people when underground pipelines ripped open following a leak.
Smaller incidents have followed since, including explosions at a hotel in the northeastern city of Shenyang and a residential community in the central city of Shiyan that left a combined 28 people dead.
Building codes are also loosely enforced in rural areas and suburbs, with additional levels added to homes and businesses that lack the structural integrity to support them.
