A powerful explosion rocked a chemical plant in China’s eastern Shandong province around midday on Tuesday, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky and shaking buildings kilometers away, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The blast occurred at the Gaomi Youdao chemical company, which produces pesticides and medical-use chemicals. The force of the explosion shattered the windows of a warehouse more than three kilometers away, as shown in a video shared by a local resident who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. “My whole house shook,” the resident said. From a window located over seven kilometers from the plant, he witnessed a massive column of smoke rising into the air.
The incident took place in an industrial park in the city of Weifang, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of Beijing, around 12 p.m. local time (04:00 GMT), according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Authorities confirmed that the explosion left at least five people dead, six missing, and 19 with minor injuries. Footage released by the Beijing News newspaper showed scenes of devastation: shattered storefronts, roads strewn with debris, damaged vehicles, and a blaze raging within the industrial complex.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched 55 vehicles and 232 rescue personnel to the site, while local firefighters deployed more than 230 responders to battle the flames and search for the missing.
According to Chinese digital media outlet The Paper, Youdao Chemical employs about 300 people and operates on a site covering approximately 47 hectares (116 acres). The company is known for producing low-toxicity pesticides.
Industrial accidents remain common in China, where enforcement of safety regulations in factories and plants is often lax. One of the deadliest incidents in recent memory occurred in 2015, when explosions at a warehouse storing flammable chemicals in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people and injured over 700 others.
