CHINA: An explosion at a chemical plant in Gaomi city, Shandong province, eastern China, has killed at least five people and left six others missing, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
The blast occurred just before noon on Tuesday (27 May) at a facility operated by Shandong Youdao Chemical.
Nineteen others were injured in the incident, which triggered a massive fireball and sent thick smoke billowing hundreds of metres into the air.
Residents reported hearing a loud bang, with the shockwave shattering windows and damaging nearby homes.
One local resident told thepaper.cn that his house was “shaken” by the explosion, with windows shattered and objects flung across the room.
He added that the streets were strewn with broken glass and electrical appliances blown out from neighbouring homes.
Local fire and rescue teams deployed 55 vehicles and 232 personnel to the scene.
The national Ministry of Emergency Management also dispatched specialised fire and emergency response units to support rescue efforts.
Authorities have established a joint command centre to coordinate ongoing operations, which include locating the missing, treating the injured, supporting affected families, and monitoring environmental conditions.
Search and cleanup efforts remain underway.
The Weifang Ecological Environment Bureau sent staff to test the site for pollutants, though results have yet to be released.
In the meantime, residents in the vicinity have been advised to wear face masks as a precaution.
Shandong Youdao Chemical is owned by the Himile Group, which also controls the listed company Himile Mechanical.
Shares of Himile Mechanical fell nearly 3.6 per cent on Tuesday following the explosion.
According to its website, Shandong Youdao Chemical was established in August 2019 within the Gaomi Renhe Chemical Park in Weifang.
The facility spans more than 47 hectares and employs over 300 people.
It produces chemical components used in the manufacture of pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
This latest incident adds to a series of fatal chemical plant explosions in China in recent years.
Past cases include a blast in the Ningxia region in 2024 and another in Jiangxi province in 2023.
One of the deadliest occurred in Tianjin in 2015, when twin explosions at warehouses storing hazardous chemicals killed over 170 people and injured more than 700.
That disaster prompted authorities to tighten regulations on chemical storage nationwide.
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