More Than 40 Injured In Northern Japan Explosion
By VOA
At least 42 people have been injured, including one critically, in an explosion at a restaurant in northern Japan.
The blast Sunday night at a two-story restaurant in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Island, is being investigated, police said.
TV footage from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed smoke rising from the building, which eventually collapsed.
Residents in the area said they smelled gas around the time of the explosion that shattered windows in nearby homes and partially buried cars in debris.
City officials set up shelters for area residents as fire officials warned of the possibility of secondary explosions.
