16 die in chemical plant explosion
27 August 2008
At least 16 people have died and another 57 were injured after a series of explosions in a chemical plant on Tuesday, AP reported, citing state media. The first explosion occurred at about 6 a.m. in the city of Yizhou in the Guangxi region and the blasts continued until 1 p.m. The government evacuated 11,500 residents in case of further blasts and chemical leaks. Poisonous gases were said to be coming from the site. The plant, which is owned by Guangxi Guangwei Chemical Co, is in a development zone of Yizhou and produces chemicals for adhesives and paints.