Video: The moment a huge blast hit Chinese food shops, killing 2 and hurting 55

A massive explosion was caught on CCTV and video cameras the moment it tore through small shops by a busy street in the Chinese city of Hanghzou.

The blast killed two people and injured 55, authorities in the area said.

The explosion hit a food shop in eastern China during the breakfast rush. Fire later engulfed the shop sending plumes of smoke into the air.

Security camera footage from the shop in the eastern resort city of Hangzhou showed the blast flinging dust and debris across a major road traversed by cars, buses, bicycles and scooters.

Most such small establishments use bottled gas to fuel their cookers. 

The fire had since been put out, Hangzhou's West Lake District Information Office said on its official microblog.

The injured were taken to hospital, it said, adding that 12 were seriously hurt.

Authorities were investigating the cause.

Explosions and other mishaps are common in China, often because of patchy enforcement of safety rules. The central government has pledged to improve checks to avert such accidents