A suspected gas explosion at a restaurant in northern Japan injured as many as 42 people and destroyed buildings, restaurants located near the explosion area.
The Japan Times reported that the powerful explosion occurred around 8:30 pm on Sunday (local time) at the Izakaya pub in the Hokkaido capital.
The police confirmed that around 19 males and 23 females, belonging to various age groups, were injured mildly, while one among the victims was severely injured and has been taken to a nearby hospital.
"The ceiling fell, then the entire second floor collapsed and we were all stuck. We managed to escape after everyone kicked through the wall," Japan Times quoted the relative of a person who was injured in the explosion.
Many people also informed that the explosion was so powerful that the power supply went off.