In north China, chemical plant explosion kills 2 and leaves 12 others without a trace

BEIJING (AP) — A massive explosion at a chemical plant in northeastern China has killed at least two people and left 12 missing.

Another 34 people were hurt in Sunday’s explosion in Panjin, Liaoning province east from Beijing.

Local government news releases showed images of thick black smoke rising from the chemical processing machinery, pipes, and storage containers.

The fire crews brought the flame under control, and the local environment department was monitoring the effect on the air quality in that area, Panshan County’s news release stated.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of this accident. Social media users claimed that they felt the shock from the explosion. However, the damage didn’t appear to have extended beyond the plant.

China, the second-largest economy in the world, is suffering deadly industrial accidents On a regular basis.

Since the 2015 explosion at Tianjin’s northern port city, Tianjin, the central government has taken stronger safety precautions. killed 173 peopleMost were police officers and firefighters. A number of local officials were charged with taking bribes in order to ignore safety violations.