More than 40 people have been injured in an explosion inside a restaurant in northern Japan.
Police in Sapporo said that one person is in a critical condition while around 40 people suffered mild injuries.
The blast took place at around 8.30pm on Sunday.
Images from the scene show the building completely destroyed as firefighters continue to dampen down the area.
The cause of the explosion, which occurred at a two-story restaurant in Sapporo's Toyohira district, is under investigation, police said, adding that they had no further details.
According to Mainichi.jp, roofs and window glass from nearby buildings were shattered by the sheer power of the explosion.
A resident of an apartment nearby told the paper that there was a loud sound followed by shaking.
A man in his 50s who lived nearby told Japan Times: “I heard a bang which sounded like thunder, and my condo was shaken.”#
Eyewitnesses reported smelling gas in the area following the explosion.
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