Smoke still rising one day after deadly China chemical plant blast

GAOMI, China - Shattered glass from windows blown apart by an explosion at a chemical plant in Chinas eastern Shandong province littered the roadside for more than 1km on May 28, a day after a blast that killed at least five people.

The explosion happened just before noon on May 27 at a facility operated by Shandong Youdao Chemical in the city of Gaomi, sending plumes of orange and black smoke into the sky.

Nineteen people were injured and six more remain missing, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Local officials have not yet released the results of unspecified tests carried out at the site.

The streets leading up to the smouldering ruins were deserted, except for emergency teams, Reuters witnesses reported.

Black and grey smoke was still rising from the facility, although there was no sign of a fire that national-level authorities on May 27 had urged emergency workers to quickly contain.

Mr Yu Qianming, a 69-year-old farmer, showed Reuters roofing that had fallen in and windows that had shattered, but said nobody in his home had suffered any injuries.

Mr Yu said he and his wife felt safe in their home as long as the wind continued to blow north, but added they had moved their grandchild elsewhere as a precaution.

Shandong Youdao Chemical was established in August 2019 in the Gaomi Renhe chemical park, according to the companys website.

The plant develops and produces chemical components for use in pesticides and pharmaceuticals, employing more than 300 people on a site of more than 47ha.

The company is a unit of Himile Group, which also owns listed Himile Mechanical, whose shares were down nearly 3.6 per cent when the market closed on May 27. REUTERS