Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 13 Jul 2018, 01:22 pm Print
Beijing: At least 19 people were killed and a dozen injured after a chemical plant exploded in southwest China' Sichuan province on Thursday, media reports said.
The explosion occurred in an industrial park near Chengdu in Jiangan County, Xinhua said.
Intense fires gutted a three-story production building belonging to the Yibin Hengda Science and Technology Company.The windows of nearby buildings were shattered.
The cause of the blast is not yet known, the reports quoted local officials as saying on Friday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, an investigation into the blast has begun.
A fire, which broke out early on Thursday evening due to the explosion, was put out by 11:30pm local time (3:30pm GMT), the government said in a statement.
Images on Chinese social media showed a huge fire and plumes of smoke rising from the facilities Thursday night.
Image: Internet Grab
- South Korea: First formal hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial ends within minutes after he did not appear before court
- Middle East crisis: Hamas likely to release 33 hostages during first phase of emerging ceasefire deal with Israel
- Justin Trudeau's former ally Jagmeet Singh says Trump's intention of annexing Canada will have a 'price to pay'
- Ukraine-Russia war: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offers to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang
- Death toll due to US wildfires rises to 24, firefighters fight battle to contain blaze