30,000 evacuated in China chemical plant fire

Firefighters battle a blaze following an explosion at a plant producing paraxylene - a chemical commonly known as PX - in Zhangzhou, east China's Fujian province on April 8, 2015. More than 800 firefighters battled for almost 24 hours to put out a vast fire at a controversial chemical plant in the Chinese city of Zhangzhou, state media said on April 7, the second accident at the site in two years.- AFP PHOTO

BEIJING (AFP) - Almost 30,000 people living near a Chinese chemical plant where a huge fire blazed for a total of nearly 50 hours were evacuated before the flames were finally extinguished Thursday, media said.

The fire at the factory producing paraxylene -- a chemical commonly known as PX and used to make fabric -- began on Monday evening, with explosions rocking the building in Zhangzhou.