Exploding excrement in China leaves 15 injured

An excrement-filled cesspool exploded in central China, injuring 15 people, according to state-run media.

The blast, in Zhangjiajie city, even took down a residential building, causing three of the 15 injured to be hospitalised.

The incident apparently occurred when a man was buing waste near the cesspool.

The buing ignited methane gas coming from the pit, said Xinhua news agency on Sunday (Nov 24).

Rescuers search for victims in the debris (Picture: Getty Images)

In recent decades, millions of people have moved from rural areas to the countryside, resulting in hurriedly built urban infrastructures with little regard for safety.

In May, a man and his mother both died in an attempt to retrieve a mobile phone from a toilet septic tank.

After jumping in, the man was overwhelmed by the fumes and passed out, according to a provincial govement-run website Dahe. 

Source: AFP