Big blast razes China karaoke bar, killing 25

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BEIJING, July 5 (AFP): High school students celebrating the end of exams were among 25 people killed in a thunderous explosion that destroyed a karaoke bar in northeast China, state media and witnesses said Thursday.
The blast occurred in a coal mining town of 40,000 people in Liaoning province Wednesday night, destroying the two-storey structure and damaging nearby buildings, the Xinhua news agency said.
There was no immediate reason given for the blast at the Tianying Karaoke Hall and Bath House in Tianshifu town, while local police and government officials contacted by AFP said they had no information on the cause.
The venue's owner was among those killed, while 33 other people were injured, four of them seriously, according to Xinhua, which cited local authorities.
Many of the victims were students letting loose after examinations, witnesses said.
"Some of the victims were teenagers around 18 to 19. Including one of my friends. I'm very sad," a local high school girl told AFP by phone. She declined to provide her name, saying she was too distraught.