What happened

A severely corroded 57 mm medium-pressure natural-gas pipe ruptured beneath the Yanhu community market in Shiyan. Gas accumulated in a confined space under the two-storey market and spread into the building before sparks from a restaurant exhaust duct ignited the mixture. The explosion destroyed the market, damaged surrounding homes and vehicles, killed 26 people and injured 138, including 37 seriously. The final Hubei investigation superseded the earlier widely reported toll of 25 deaths. It classified the event as a major production-safety responsibility accident and found the local gas company directly responsible, citing inadequate maintenance, inspection and emergency handling across an ageing network. Authorities punished 34 public officials and company personnel; police had earlier detained eight employees while responsibility was investigated. About 913 nearby households were evacuated during the emergency response, and investigators calculated direct economic losses of approximately 53.95 million yuan.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.