Chemical factory explosion leaves six people missing, eight others injured in China
17 June 2022
An explosion at a chemical factory left six people missing and presumed dead in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu on June 16. The incident, which also injured eight people, happened at a pesticide factory in the city of Lanzhou just before 19:00 local time.
Representative image: Shutterstock
Around 400 fire and rescue personnel, as well as 47 emergency vehicles, were called to the scene, The injured were transported to hospital where they were said to be in a stable condition. Once the facility had been made safe, a search and rescue operation began to find the six missing people.
The cause of the explosion is unknown, however state news agency Xinhua reports that it originated in a sewage treatment workshop. The company which owns the facility, Binnong Technology, produces pesticides and had recently started a new trial production trial.
In recent years, chemical industry accidents have been fairly common in China with many companies failing to adhere to safety guidelines in favour of pursuing rigorous production schedules. Recent incidents include the 2015 explosion in the port city of Tianjin that killed 173 people. More recently, a toxic chemical leak at a factory in Guizhou province killed eight people and injured three others in June 2021.