Watch the terrifying moment a deadly explosion rips through the fried chicken restaurant after horror gas leak kills two people

TWO people were killed and 26 others injured after a deadly explosion hit a fried chicken shop in northern China.

Shops, houses and cars were completely destroyed horror explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, according to state reports.

A driver captured the exact moment a huge fireball engulfed the Chinese eateryCredit: BBC

Store employees were seen frantically crossing the street shortly after the explosionCredit: BBC

Firefighters at the scene of the explosion in the city of Sanhe in northern ChinaCredit: AP

Dozens of rescue workers were called to the horror siteCredit: AP

Chilling footage shows the terrifying moment the eatery is engulfed by a huge fireball in Sanhe province, about an hour’s drive from the capital Beijing.

Footage from passing motorists showed large billows of gray smoke rising into the sky, almost reaching the buildings on the other side of the road.

Two large buildings were completely destroyed by the blast, according to images shared by state broadcaster CCTV.

Videos on social media showed more of the apocalyptic aftermath, with mangled cars, metal debris and shards of glass littering the streets, and some items still burning.

The explosion took place just before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, according to CCTV.

Yanjiao city emergency officials said in a statement that a suspected gas leak caused the accident.

“I heard a huge bang… which terrified me,” said a vendor at a local market.

“Outside I saw clouds of black smoke,” she added.

Another seller said they also heard a “huge bang” from the site of the explosion, in a busy area of small apartment buildings about six or seven stories high.

“The noise was too loud,” said a seller named Wang, adding that she heard a “second explosion.”

“When I saw a lot of people running there, I took a video,” said a local man.

“The smoke was thick, but I didn’t see the explosion. When I arrived at the scene, there was still smoke,” he explained.

Rescuers, firefighters, health and other officials were called to the scene.

The fire had been brought under control, fire officials said in an earlier statement, adding that 36 vehicles and 154 people had been dispatched to the site and were carrying out rescue efforts.

It comes after at least 31 people were killed and another seven injured huge explosion at a barbecue restaurant in China.

Nine people, including the owner, were arrested after an explosion rocked the Yinchuan venue as crowds filled the streets on the eve of a celebration.

The explosion shortly before 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday was caused by a leaking liquefied petroleum gas tank at the restaurant in northwest Chinaaccording to a state investigation news desk.

A witness described seeing a waiter outside the eatery as thick smoke and a strong odor to cook gas flooded the area.

Explosions and other fatal accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.

A recent spate of such accidents has prompted calls from the president Xi Jinping for ‘deep reflection’ and greater efforts to stop it.

Last month, at least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing.

In January, dozens of people died after a fire broke out in a shop in the central city of Xinyu. State news agency Xinhua reported that the fire was caused by the “illegal” use of fire by employees in the store’s basement.

The fire came just days after a fire that broke out late in the evening at a school in central Henan province killed 13 schoolchildren while they slept in a dormitory.

According to domestic media reports, the fire was caused by an electric heating device.

Last June, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the country’s northwest killed 31, prompting official pledges for a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.