This article is more than 10 years old. See today’s top stories here.

Explosion Hits Chemical Plant In East China

The explosion comes days after two huge blasts in Tianjin killed at least 121 people.

SHANGHAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - An explosion hit a chemical plant on Saturday night in eastern China, the official Xinhua state news agency said, citing local authorities.

No fatalities were reported, Xinhua said, citing local police, although nine people were injured and taken to hospital.

The blast, which triggered a fire, happened around 8.50pm local time in Huantai county in Shandong province.

BREAKING: Residential area is less than 1km from the blast of the chemical plant in Huantai County, Shandong Province pic.twitter.com/RVvHMaz9ar

— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) August 22, 2015

The explosion occurred at a factory of Shandong's Runxing Chemical company which is a subsidiary of Runxing Group and has 200 million yuan ($31 million) in registered capital, Xinhua reported.

The factory produced adiponitrile, a colorless liquid that releases poisonous gases when it reacts with fire, the People's Daily said, citing the state-run Beijing Times.

Seven fire brigades consisting of a total of 150 fire fighters and 20 fire engines were sent to the scene and fire brigades that are trained to work with fires involving chemicals are being dispatched, Xinhua said.

Windows shattered in the village where the blast occurred, state media said, and tremors reverberated within 2 kilometers (1 mile) of the site of the explosion.

20 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
Your Support Fuels Our Mission

For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can't do this without you.

We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.

Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.

We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.

Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.

Support HuffPost

This explosion in eastern China comes after two huge blasts ripped through a warehouse storing dangerous chemicals in Tianjin, the world's 10th-largest port, on Aug. 12 killing at least 121 people.

#BREAKING Explosion occurs to a chemical plant in E China’s Shandong on Saturday evening, flames spotted at site pic.twitter.com/CG9cRwlOAM

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) August 22, 2015

Also on HuffPost:

Close

What's Hot