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A deadly suspected gas explosion ripped through a residential neighborhood in northern China<\/a> on Wednesday, leaving a scene of devastation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The powerful blast occurred just before 8 a.m. at a ground-floor restaurant in a residential area of Sanhe city, Hebei province, east of the capital Beijing, state broadcaster CCTV said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It killed at least two people, injured 26 others, and destroyed the four-story building, according to CCTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authorities have \u201cbasically determined\u201d the explosion was caused by a gas leak, though they have not identified the specific cause or location of the blast, the broadcaster reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dramatic blast and its aftermath were captured in footage circulating on Chinese social media site Weibo, which showed a large fireball exploding from a multistory building, destroying its walls and ceiling and sending huge plumes of smoke into the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At least three buildings were severely damaged, with one left in a skeletal state. Firefighters were seen putting out the blaze, surrounded by crushed cars and piles of debris, according to videos and photos on Weibo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local residents said on social media they heard a loud bang in the early morning and felt their buildings trembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buildings across the street from the blast site were also impacted, with glass shattered and shop signs damaged, footage aired on CCTV showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Wednesday afternoon, the fire had been put out and residents living within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the site had been evacuated, CCTV said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China has seen a series of deadly incidents caused by gas leaks<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n