A tank at a barbecue restaurant exploded at 6.02am on Monday, authorities of Yancheng city in Jianhu county said in a statement.

The owner of the restaurant has been detained by police, they said, and an investigation is underway.

In June, a gas explosion at a barbecue eatery killed 31 in northwestern Ningxia region, one of the deadliest blasts in recent years, prompting President Xi Jinping to order officials to address safety risks across the country.

Two other restaurant explosions followed in less than a week, including one in Gansu province that injured two.

After Monday’s incident, concerns and criticism resurfaced on China’s popular microblog site Weibo.

“Have we not learned our lesson?” questioned one user.

Accidents due to gas and chemical explosions are not uncommon in China despite years of efforts to improve safety.

“Those who run barbecue restaurants should all conduct self-checks,” said another user.