Two Killed, 26 Injured in Factory Blast in Central China
An explosion killed two workers and injured 26 others at a food dye factory in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, yesterday.
A three-story workshop collapsed following the blast at 1:24 pm at Wuhan Lucheng Biotechnology in the city's Jiangxia district.
Video footage from a surveillance camera shows a ball of fire bursting through the building's roof scattering debris into the air. Shortly afterwards, a man is seen running out of the workshop.
The blast, which is believed to have been caused by a pressurised reaction kettle used in manufacturing, occurred during a changeover in shifts.
A statement released by the emergency response office of Jiangxia district said the injured workers were taken to three hospitals for treatment. Two were in serious condition.
A firefighter surnamed Li said rescue services were busy throughout the afternoon searching for survivors among the debris.
A man surnamed Hu who lives near the factory said the windows of his seventh-floor apartment were broken by the power of the explosion.
The Lucheng factory, which produces a colouring agent used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, employs 56 workers.
A reaction kettle is a container in which raw materials are heated, distilled and cooled.
The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.
Copyright 2012 - China Daily, Beijing / Asia News Network
McClatchy-Tribune News Service