By Li Hongmei

An outdoor barbecue eatery in Beijing's Chaoyang district has been operating for 12 years less than 10 meters away from a gas station forecourt, reports the Beijing-based Legal Evening News.

A reporter from the paper noted that each of the tables at the eatery had a pot on it containing burning charcoals with small open flames as vehicle after vehicle stopped next door and filled up with gasoline, with petrol fumes heavy in the air.

The reporter also discovered that this was not the only grill restaurant near the gas station - there was another on its west side as well. Between the two restaurants, there could be an estimated 100 small cooking fires that could ignite an explosion, not to mention diners smoking during their meal.

An employee of one of the restaurants said that the restaurant opens at 6:30pm every day and closes around 12:30am. The restaurant has been running for 12 years.

Staff members at the Beijing Administration of Work Safety said fires are not allowed within a distance of 70 meters from a gas station. They said they will send staff to the spot to check the report and will close them if they violate the law.