Explosion at chemical plant kills two in China

À DAY

An explosion at a chemical plant in northeast China left two dead, 34 injured and 12 missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday. 

The explosion occurred Sunday afternoon at a factory in Panshan county, Liaoning province, TV said.

“The fire is currently under control, the last flames being stabilized”, according to CCTV.

An explosion occurred at a chemical plant in NE China's Liaoning Province on Sun, with 2 killed, 12 missing, 4 seriously injured and 30 sustaining mild injuries; the injured have been moved to hospital & the fire is under control: CCTV pic.twitter.com/YEolXE8lje

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 16, 2023

Videos and photos released by television show a thick cloud of black smoke and flames rising from the factory, as well as a group of helmeted firefighters outside the building.

According to CCTV, more than 330 firefighters were mobilized to bring the fire under control.

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An explosion occurred at a chemical plant in NE China's Liaoning Province on Sun, with 2 killed, 12 missing, 4 seriously injured and 30 sustaining mild injuries; the injured have been moved to hospital & the fire is under control: CCTV pic.twitter.com/YEolXE8lje

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 16, 2023

Industrial accidents are common in China and often caused by poor compliance with safety regulations.

In December, 18 people were trapped underground after the collapse of a gold mine in the Xinjiang region (northwest).

And in November, 38 people were killed in a factory fire in the center of the country.

One of the most serious industrial accidents occurred in 2015 in Tianjin (north). A gigantic explosion in a chemical warehouse had killed at least 165 people in this large port city located 120 kilometers southeast of Beijing.