Massive blast at chemical plant in China kills six

Firemen and Chinese paramilitary police officers at the site. Pic/AFP

Beijing: A huge explosion rocked a chemical plant in eastern China on Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring dozens as it knocked down factory buildings. 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.

Around the time of the explosion, China's earthquake administration reported a 2.2-magnitude tremor in Lianyungang, a city near the Yancheng blast. 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.

At least six people were killed and 30 severely injured, while numerous others in the vicinity were slightly injured, city officials said on Weibo late Thursday. "At present, on-site rescue is still going on... The cause of the accident is under investigation," officials said.

30
Approx. no. of people severely injured

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