At Least 2 Killed, 12 Missing in North China after Explosion in Chemical Plant (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least two people were killed and 12 are still missing as a result of a major explosion at a chemical facility in northeastern China.
Another 34 people were injured in the explosion Sunday on the outskirts of the city of Panjin in Liaoning province east of the capital Beijing.
News releases from the local government showed photos of flames and thick black smoke rising from the complex of chemical processing machinery, pipes and storage containers, Deccan Herald reported.
Fire crews have brought the blaze under control and the local environmental department was monitoring the impact on air quality in the area, the government of Panshan County in the city's suburbs said in a news release.
The cause of the accident remained under investigation, authorities said. People posting on social media said they felt the shock of the explosion, but the damage did not appear to extend beyond the plant.
According to its website, the Panjin Haoye Chemical Company makes automobile fuel, solvents, domestic gas, sulfur, and methanol, as well as other chemical products. It employs around 600 people and has an annual turnover of $2.6 billion.
Situated in the coastal province of Liaoning, Panjin is home to several large-scale petrochemical plants, including a $10 billion refinery currently under construction by Saudi Aramco and two Chinese firms.
