(VOVworld) – Fourteen students were among the 17 killed in a restaurant blast in east China’s Anhui province on Saturday, according to local officials.

The explosion in China, took place at lunchtime in one of many restaurants in an alley about 50 meters long. (Photo: Barcroft Media)

The dead students, aged 15 to 20, attened nearby schools. Three men aged 33 to 59, including a father and his son, were also killed. A gas cylinder at the restaurant caught fire Saturday around noon, according to the initial investigation. The snack bar opened on August 18 without an official license, according to the investigation, which is still underway.