In eastern China, local residents are recovering and assessing the damage to their homes after a powerful explosion at a chemical plant killed at least five people, released chemicals and shattered windows up to a kilometer away. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
Clouds of black and gray smoke are still rising above the plant in Gaomi, a city in eastern Shandong province, a day after the explosion, which, according to the official Xinhua news agency, injured 19 people and left six missing.
Farmer Yu Qianming said that he and his wife moved their grandson to another place as a precaution, although they felt safe in their house as long as the wind was blowing in a northerly direction.
His family was not injured, said the 69-year-old man, showing Reuters the roofing material that had fallen and the windows that had shattered during the explosion.
Local officials have not yet released air quality test results on Tuesday after a plume of orange and black smoke emerged from the plant.
On Wednesday, vehicles patrolled the perimeter of the site, which stretches over 47 hectares (116 acres), and drone footage showed that a multi-story building was destroyed in the explosion.
Liu Ming, a 60-year-old woman who lives 500 meters (547 yards) away, said she is considering moving after her house and clothing store suffered significant damage, although she does not yet have clear plans.
She showed Reuters window frames shattered by the explosion, as well as shards of glass scattered among boxes of thread and clothing on the floor.
A few meters away, the owner of another store suffered a minor head injury from the explosion, which occurred during lunch.
Founded in August 2019 in the Gaomi Renhe Chemical Park, Shandong Youdao Chemical Plant develops and manufactures chemicals used in pesticides and pharmaceuticals, the company said on its website, which employs more than 300 people.
Let us remind you
On May 27, a powerful explosion occurred at the Shandong Youdao Chemical plant in the Chinese city of Gaomi. The cause of the incident has not yet been established, and the number of victims also remained unknown.