China: Chemical Blast Kills Dozens
A massive explosion at a fertiliser factory in China’s Jiangsu province on Thursday has left 47 dead, with 90 others badly injured.
According to local news agencies, the blast followed a fire at the factory, however the exact cause of the fire – and subsequent explosion – is still unknown.
The death toll makes it one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in recent years.
A total of 640 people were sent to hospital, where many are in critical condition and dozens have severe injuries.
The explosion was so powerful that it apparently triggered a small earthquake, knocked down several factory buildings and shattered the windows of homes a few kilometers away.
Nearby residents – many of them elderly – appear to have abandoned their properties entirely, after the damage to their homes.
The fertiliser factory mainly produced raw chemical materials, including anisole, a highly flammable compound.
Deadly industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced.
Image: Source
