China eyes major clean-up after chem plant blast; death toll at 64

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China is examining measures to clean up and contain chemical leaks from storage tanks damaged by the 21 March fatal blast at a plant in Yancheng that killed at least 64 people, the provincial government of Jiangsu said on Monday.

Site of a factory explosion at a chemical industrial park in Yancheng, Jiangsu, China(Source: Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock)

Twenty-eight people are still missing, with 117 critically injured. A total of 604 people received treatment at hospitals following the incident, with 59 discharged, it said in a statement posted on its website.

The explosion occurred at 14:48 China time (06:48 GMT) on 21 March at Tianjiayi Chemical’s plant located at the Chenjiagang Industry Park in Yancheng City in Jiangsu province in eastern China.

Tianjiayi Chemical is a major producer of dying intermediate m-phenylenediamine.

Nearly 20 nearly factories were affected by the resulting blaze, prompting government authorities to shut the whole industrial park.

Consequent leaks of dangerous chemicals such as sulphur and nitric acid, and water contamination, must be immediately contained and cleaned up for the safety of residents in the surrounding areas.

Assessments are being done on chemical storages of the whole Chenjiagang Industry Park, while looking for places to ship them out during clean up, the Jiangsu government stated.

The Jiangsu government has ordered inspections of all chemical plants across the province, to ensure safety in production following the deadly blast in Yancheng.

The eastern China province is a major petrochemical production hub.

Safety measures should be strictly implemented at production facilities, tanks, warehouse and pipelines, while monitoring of non-compliant companies will be ehanced, with measures such as closures, temporary shutdowns, fines and legal actions to be taken to rectify violations.

($1 = CNY6.72)

ICN