China – Chemical Plant Blast Kills Four

Four people were confirmed dead and six others injured after an explosion occurred in a chemical plant in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on October 15, local authorities said.

Xinhua said the blast occurred at around 11:20 a.m. in a chemical plant in Luchuan County in the city of Yulin, according to the regional emergency management department and fire department.

Two were seriously injured and another four sustained minor injuries.

An initial investigation showed that a reaction kettle in the plant used for the synthesis of formaldehyde and phenol exploded. Up to five tonnes of the toxic substances were involved, local sources said.

Footage released by state newspaper People’s Daily on its social media account shows plumes of smoke rising into the sky from a factory building.

It also shows the interiors of the plant completely destroyed and debris scattered on the ground. Only a shell of the factory can be seen in the aftermath.

The cause of the blast is being investigated and the economic losses are being calculated.
The plant is owned by Guangxi Lanke New Material Company.

Yulin, with a population of around 700,000 people, is situated in southern China, near Vietnam.