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Several dead after Chinese power station blast

August 11, 2016

A steam pipe explosion at a power plant in China has killed at least 21 people and injured five others. The deadly blast occurred almost a year after the Tianjin chemical explosions which killed 173 people.

https://p.dw.com/p/1JgGS
the explosion site at a power plant in Dangyang, central China's Hubei Province
Image: picture alliance/ZUMA Press/Xinhua

The blast struck a high-pressure steam pipeline of a coal-fired power plant in Dangyang, China, reported China's Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

At least 21 people died as a result, while five others were injured. Three of those wounded were seriously injured and were being treated at a hospital, according to reports.

Local officials hurried to the scene of the accident to oversee rescue efforts. Dangyang's local government said they were investigating the cause of the explosion.

Industrial accidents are unfortunately a frequent occurrence in China, despite central government orders to update safety in power plants, factories and mines.

Earlier this summer, a chemical leak from a plant in eastern China sent 130 people to the hospital.

In April, an explosion at a facility storing chemicals and fuel led to a chemical fire which burned for 16 hours in the province of Jiangsu.

Thursday's blast came just one day before the first anniversary of the blasts in Tianjin. The massive series of explosions occurred at a chemical warehouse in the port city, killing 173 people.

Following the tragic accident, which cost over $1 billion (896 million euros), a government inquiry recommended that 123 people should be punished.

rs/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)