News / China

14 wounded in chemical plant explosion in China’s Zhangzhou

Tuesday, 07 April 2015 7:37 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 07 April 2015 7:37 AM ]

A major explosion and subsequent fire happen at a chemical plant in China’s eastern city of Zhangzhou, April 6, 2015. (© AFP)

At least 14 people, including four firefighters, have been injured in an explosion and subsequent fire at a chemical plant in China’s eastern city of Zhangzhou in Fujian Province.

The blast happened on Monday evening and the wounded were taken to hospital, a provincial government website quoted local officials as saying.

It was the second time in 20 months that such an accident occurred at the facility, which produces paraxylene (PX), a flammable chemical used in polyester and plastics manufacturing.

Nearly 430 firefighters battled the fire, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said, adding that witnesses reported feeling a tremor as far as 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.

Construction of plants producing PX, a carcinogenic liquid, has sparked protests in several Chinese cities in recent years. Many are concerned about pollution from the plants.

The plant in Zhangzhou was initially slated to be built in the nearby coastal city of Xiamen, but after a massive protest against its construction in 2007, the facility was moved to its present site.

In another protest rally against a PX plant, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the city of Maoming in the southern province of Guangdong in March last year.

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