Many Feared Killed, Injured as Explosion Rocks Steel Plant
An explosion at a factory in China’s Inner Mongolia region has killed two people and left 66 others hospitalised on Sunday. The blast occurred at a plate plant of Baogang United Steel in western Baotou City at around 3 p.m. local time, the city’s emergency management bureau said. According to China’s official News agency, XinhuaNet, multiple injured people have been rescued after the explosion, the bureau added, though the number of casualties was initially unclear. China’s official news agency Xinhua reported that the blast sent heavy plumes of smoke into the sky and caused tremors in surrounding areas. Xinhua said three of those hospitalised suffered serious injuries, and five people remained missing. “The blast caused noticeable tremors in its surrounding areas,” the city’s emergency management bureau said. Rescue operations are currently underway, the bureau added. Emergency teams arrived at the scene swiftly to treat the injured and continue the search for missing workers. The blast, which shook nearby buildings, has raised concerns over safety standards at industrial facilities in the region. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the explosion or the identities of the victims. The steel plant is part of Baogang United Steel, a major industrial firm in the region. The city’s emergency management bureau said the blast occurred at a plate plant of Baogang United Steel at around 3 p.m. on Sunday. Further updates are expected as rescue operations continue and officials investigate the incident.
