BEIJING: At least 12 people have been killed, 19 severely injured and five others are missing after an explosion ripped through a gas plant in China‘s Henan Province, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The official Xinhua news agency said the explosion occurred in the air separation unit of the Yima gas factory of the Henan Coal Gas (Group) Co., Ltd. The blast was not in the gas tank areas, and all production has been stopped.
China experiences frequent industrial accidents despite orders from the central government to improve safety at factories, power plants and mines.
Deadly industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced.In March, an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern Jiangsu province killed 78 people and injured hundreds.
In 2015, China suffered one of its worst industrial accidents when giant chemical blasts in the northern port city of Tianjin killed at least 165 people.
The explosion occurred in the air separation unit of Henan Coal’s factory, it said, with those hurt sent to four different hospitals. All production at the plant has been halted.
About 270 firefighters and rescue workers have completed three rounds of search and rescue, the ministry said.China experiences frequent industrial accidents despite orders from the central government to improve safety at factories, power plants and mines.
