At least 22 Killed, Over 20 Wounded in Massive Explosion in Chemical Plant in China

A massive explosion near a chemical plant in Zhangjiakou in China has claimed the lives of at least 22 people with another 20 injured. According to local media reports the blast occurred around 12:40am local time and authorities are still searching for possible survivors.

The injured have been taken to a local hospital but their status has not been revealed by local authorities.

The explosion was followed by a massive blaze which took place near the Hebei Shenghua Chemical Company in Qiaodong District in Xingtai, Hebei, China. Photos posted by various Chinese media agencies showed vehicles charred and fire tenders surrounding the fire. Reports put the number of vehicles burnt to 38 trucks and 12 cars which were caught in the blast.

Local authorities have given no cause for the midnight explosion and say they are investigating the reason.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 28, 2018 07:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).