China Oil Pipeline Explosion Kills 35 People

35 people were killed Friday when an oil pipeline exploded in the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The force of the blast ripped roads apart, turning cars over and sending thick black smoke billowing over the city, pictures showed.

The pipeline, run by state-owned oil giant Sinopec, sprang a leak early Friday and exploded several hours later as workers sought to repair it, the Qingdao municipal government said in its verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.