One killed in blast at public toilet in China

At least one person was killed and seven others were injured in an explosion at a public toilet in China's Shaanxi Province, official media reported.
The blast last Saturday was triggered by excessive sewer gas in the toilet, state run Xinhua news agency reported today.
Investigators said that the explosion was caused by an explosive mixture of sewer gas.
The toilet in Hengshan District of Yulin city collapsed in the explosion, killing one person and injuring seven others.
Sewer gas consists of the products of decomposing organic waste and may include methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, among many others.
Many public toilets in China, especially mid-western regions, are still dry -- basically pits exposed to the open air, the report said.

With China's fast economic and social development, local authorities have been spending heavily on renovation of sub-standard toilets, China's "toilet revolution," and sanitation has become a measure of the quality of local economic growth, the report said.