Petrochemical plant explosion kills five, injures eight in China
17 January 2023
An explosion at a petrochemical plant in the north east of China killed five workers and injured eight others on January 15. The incident occurred at an alkylation facility operated by Panjin Haoye Chemical Co Ltd in Panshan County, Liaoning Province.
Representative image: Shutterstock
The blast happened at around 13:30 local time while workers were carrying out maintenance work at the site. A fire broke out which started to spread through the petrochemical facility, local officials said. The initial death toll was said to be two, however once firefighters arrived on the scene and started to bring the blaze under control, the toll rose to five. The fire was brought under control and extinguished after a few hours.
Local TV stations reported that around 30 people suffered minor injuries in addition to the eight workers who suffered burns and other serious injuries.
Panjin Haoye Chemical said that the entire plant would be shut down as a result of the incident and that an investigation would begin immediately to determine the exact cause. The company is an independent refinery and chemical producer based in the city of Panjin. In December 2022, the plant processed 460,000 tonnes of crude. The site is expected to be closed for several months which could lead to a short term increase in gasoline prices in the local area.
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