Shanghai, China- One person has died following an explosion that took place at the Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical plant earlier this morning.
Rescue teams from Jinshan and Fengxian districts, and the city’s chemical industrial park, have since been dispatched to the scene.
Videos on social media showed a large cloud of fire and ash billowing upwards. In one aerial video, three fires could be seen in separate buildings and the Shanghai Fire Department said on Weibo that it had dispatched over 500 personnel immediately after the incident.
“The fire at the scene has been effectively brought under control and protective burning is currently being carried out. According to our initial understanding, the fire has already caused one death,” according to the state news agency, Xinhua.
However, reports have so far not stated a possible cause for the fire but the Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched an expert group to the scene.
China has seen a spate of industrial accidents in recent years that have left scores dead, raising concerns about public safety. In 2015, at least 173 people died after a series of explosions at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin. Last October, at least three people were killed and more than 30 injured in a powerful explosion at a restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang. The gas explosion took place in a mixed-use residential and commercial building.
Moreso, the fire erupted as Shanghai, China’s industrial engine and most populous city gingerly resumes business after being sealed off for about two months to counter a COVID-19 outbreak driven by the Omicron variant.
While the lockdown was officially lifted at the beginning of June, the snarling of supply chains and shutting of factories continues to have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
