Blast rocks east China chemical plant

At least six people were killed and 30 seriously injured in a chemical plant blast that rocked eastern China yesterday, officials said. Numerous others in the vicinity were slightly injured in the blast at a facility run by Tianjiayi Chemical in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, city officials said on their official Twitter-like Weibo account. “At present, on-site rescue is still going on... The cause of the accident is under investigation,” officials said.

The blast occurred at around 2:50 pm (0650 GMT) at a facility run by Tianjiayi Chemical in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, city officials said on their official Twitter-like Weibo account. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed windows of nearby houses blown out from the force of the explosion. An aerial view of the blast area showed a large swath of destruction in an industrial park, where multiple fires still raged. 

Injured residents near the site of the explosion have been sent to hospital for treatment, according to local authorities. Medical staff, as well as personnel from the public security bureau and fire department, have been sent to the scene, they added. The provincial fire brigade said on Weibo they had recovered 12 injured victims.  Thirty-one people have been rescued so far, officials added, without specifying whether or not they were injured.