21 killed in pipeline blast at China power plant on Tianjin explosion aniversary
BEIJING August 12: A blast at a power plant in central China killed at least 21 people and injured five on Thursday, the eve of the first anniversary marking massive Tianjin explosions that have spurred government efforts to improve industrial safety.
The power plant blast in Dangyang city in central Hubei province took place around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday, when a high-pressure steam pipe exploded, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The State Administration of Work Safety has dispatched a team to the plant to bolster local rescue efforts and to investigate the accident, state-owned China News Service reported, citing Yang Huanning, head of the administration.
A huge plume of smoke could be seen rising from the facility into the air. Earlier reports said the affected site was actually a chemical plant. However, the South China Morning Post later reported that it was a coal-based power plant, citing local media.
In addition to generating electricity, the power company, founded in 2002, was involved in the sale of slag and ash, as well as petroleum products.
Chinese industrial facilities have a poor safety record, as a number of accidents have been reported before. Chemical blasts in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people in August of 2015. A government report said that explosion had been caused by materials being improperly or illegally stored on site.
A total of 49 people were later detained by the authorities.
The pipe ruptured at 3.20pm Beijing time on Thursday at the Ma Dian Gan Shi Power Generating Company site, according to Chinese news site Huanqiu.com. Rescuers were still searching for survivors.
Central government have ordered factories to upgrade their safety procedures, but industrial sites in China continue to suffer frequent accidents.
A huge series of explosions killed 173 at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin a year ago.
#Update: At least 21 killed, 5 wounded, 3 of whom in serious condition after #blast of chemical plant in Dangyang pic.twitter.com/XqmcMw9XXA
— People’s Daily,China (@PDChina) August 11, 2016
#BREAKING: #Explosion reported at chemical plant in Dangyang, C #China‘s Hubei Province; at least 21 death reported pic.twitter.com/Fall9LYhFC
— People’s Daily,China (@PDChina) August 11, 2016
