Explosion rips through industrial plant in southeast China

A second explosion in 20 months, at an industrial plant in southeast China producing toxic chemicals prompted a rescue operation by the nation's army and revived concerns about the safety of industrial projects.

The army deployed 118 soldiers and 25 specialised vehicles following the blast at the paraxylene-making Dragon Aromatics facility in Zhangzhou, which processes feedstock from Iran, People's Liberation Daily reported on micro-blogging site Weibo. Local residents had been relocated to four sites 18 kilometers (11 miles) away from the plant, according to the Beijing Times newspaper.

The official Xinhua news agency reported that six people were hospitalised, and another 13 were treated for minor injuries. The agency added, a fire in the plant's xylene facility led to explosions at three tanks.

According to the local fire department's official micro-blog, 122 firefighting vehicles and 610 people were involved in the rescue operation.

The Chinese government, which is working to bring down the number of industrial accidents, last year ordered a nationwide overhaul of safety practices at factories handling explosive materials.

At least 75 workers died in a blast Kunshan city in August, while premier Li Keqiang intensified efforts to improve workplace safety after explosions at an underground oil pipeline killed 62 in the eastern port city of Qingdao in 2013.

According to Xinhua, five of the six people injured by broken glass and had been sent to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile residents living in the vicinity of the plant, who heard the explosion took to Weibo to post photos of the fire. According to one user  a loud blast was heard and he felt slight tremors.

This was the second explosion after the first in July 2013, although no casualties or toxic leaks had been reported at the time.
 
Though the law in China does not allow demonstrations, the construction of paraxylene plants had sparked protests, that, had, at times, turned violent, in a number of cities in recent years.

The Zhangzhou plant was originally intended to be set up in Xiamen -- a densely populated city in the southeast of the country, but had to be relocated to the current remote site after an angry backlash in 2007 over pollution concerns.