A large explosion took place at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Shandong, state media said, but gave no immediate details of casualties, while unverified social media images showed smoke billowing high overhead.
Emergency services swung in to begin rescue and treatment efforts after the blast, which came just before noon in the workshop of Shandong Youdao Chemical, broadcaster CCTV said yesterday, but gave no further details.
Some fled while others ducked for cover as grey smoke blanketed the sky in a video on Chinese social media platform Weibo, while other posts showed shattered glass in nearby villages, where residents said they felt the blast’s vibrations.
Shandong Youdao Chemical is owned by Himile Group, which also owns listed Himile Mechanical, shares of which were down nearly 4% yesterday afternoon.
Youdao was set up in August 2019 in the Gaomi Renhe chemical park in the provincial city of Weifang, its website says, sprawling across more than 47ha, with more than 300 employees.
It develops, produces and sells technology for pesticides, pharmaceuticals and related fine chemical intermediates.
Blasts at chemical plants in China in recent years have included one in the northwest region of Ningxia in 2024 and another in the southeastern province of Jiangxi in 2023. — Reuters
