Beijing: An explosion at one of China’s largest chemical plants has left five people dead and six others missing, according to state media reports. The powerful blast, which occurred on Tuesday, triggered a massive fireball and sent thick plumes of smoke hundreds of feet into the sky.
The explosion struck the state-owned Shandong Youdao Chemical facility, located in Gaomi city in eastern Shandong province. The plant is recognized as the world’s largest producer of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, with an annual output of approximately 11,000 tonnes.
Established in 2019, the facility employs over 300 workers. The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation, and emergency response teams are continuing search and rescue operations amid the rubble and smoke.
The state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed the fatalities and reported that six individuals remain unaccounted for. Further details, including the condition of those injured, are yet to be released. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post also cited the plant’s significance in the global pesticide market and its operational scale.
With PTI inputs