Overview

• The explosion tore through a workshop at the plant’s Gaomi Renhe chemical park site, shattering windows in nearby villages and sending grey and orange smoke rising for kilometers.
• Official sources report five deaths, 19 injuries and six workers still unaccounted for as rescue teams continue their search.
• Authorities have dispatched more than 230 firefighters, 55 fire engines and specialist environmental teams to contain hazards and monitor air quality.
• The facility, owned by Himile Group and employing over 500 people, is the world’s largest producer of the pesticide chlorpyrifos and has come under renewed safety scrutiny.
• Shares of Himile Mechanical fell nearly 4% after markets reacted to the blast and news of the ongoing investigation.