A huge explosion rocked a chemical plant in China’s eastern Shandong province around noon Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, with thick plumes of black smoke visible from the site.
The blast was powerful enough to knock out the windows at a storage warehouse more than two miles (three kilometers) away from the factory, according to a video shared by a local resident, who declined to give his name out of concern for retaliation.
His home shook from the blast, he said. As he went to the window to see what was wrong, he saw a tall column of smoke from the site, more than seven kilometers (4.3 miles) away.
The explosion happened at the Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co., which is located in an industrial park in the city of Weifang. It manufactures pesticides as well as chemicals for medical use, and has more than 500 employees according to corporate registration records.
Rescuers have been dispatched to the scene of the incident, but authorities have yet to announce if there are any casualties. Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to CCTV.
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AP video producer Olivia Zhang and AP researcher Shihuan Chen contributed to this report.
