Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


China Chemical Plant Blast Kills 19, Injures 12

by Reuters

   SHANGHAI --

   An explosion at a chemical plant in China's southwestern province of
   Sichuan has killed 19 people and injured 12, the local government said
   Friday.

   It is not yet clear what caused Thursday evening's blast at Yibin
   Hengda Technology in an industrial park several hours from the
   provincial capital of Chengdu, authorities in Jiang'an county said in a
   short statement.

   Photos on Chinese social media showed a huge fire and plumes of smoke
   rising from the facility.

   China has kicked off measures to improve industrial safety, ramping up
   checks over the last year, following some high-profile incidents at
   coal mines and chemical plants.

   In 2015, an explosion in a chemical warehouse in the northern port city
   of Tianjin killed 165 people. Last year, a blast at a petrochemical
   plant in eastern Shandong province killed eight people and injured
   nine.