On the eve of the Chinese traditional New Year, accidents frequently occur. Around 4:00 p.m. on February 14th, a fire suddenly broke out in the factory area of Hunan Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd., followed by multiple explosions.
A viral video shows flames shooting up into the sky at the scene, with thick white smoke billowing, as workers quickly evacuate to safety. Many netizens mentioned hearing a loud bang at that moment.
Mainland Chinese netizens expressed their shock, saying, “There was a sudden muffled sound, Xiangtan Steel is on fire, it’s too scary.” “My home is nearby, and the explosion shattered my vase.” “Heard a loud bang, felt the house shaking.” “The chimney of Xiangtan Steel has collapsed halfway.” “I heard the sound of ambulances, and saw a mushroom cloud rising.” “Sunbathing in Baishi Park, suddenly heard a thunder-like sound, thought it was thunder on a sunny day.” “The Xiangtan Steel explosion and fire are still not completely extinguished.” “Did it explode again after two in the morning?”
One netizen recalled hearing a “boom” suddenly, causing the entire house to tremble. The blast wave directly shattered the windows.
The Emergency Management Bureau of Xiangtan City in Hunan Province reported on February 15th that at around 4:15 p.m. on February 14th, a fire broke out at the Xiangtan Steel plant. By 2:40 a.m. on the 15th, the fire had been extinguished on-site, with no casualties reported.
According to the report, preliminary investigations revealed that the accident occurred when Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. was dealing with an abnormal power outage, causing a fire near the gas pipeline in the No. 4 blast furnace area. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
However, given the Communist authorities’ tendency to conceal information, the true extent of the incident remains to be understood.
Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group, known as Xiangsteel, is a core enterprise under Huaxin Iron and Steel Group, the largest state-owned enterprise in Hunan Province.
China has been experiencing frequent safety accidents. Previously, on the afternoon of January 18th, a strong explosion occurred at the Rare Earth Steel Plate Factory of Baotou Iron and Steel Group in Inner Mongolia. The official report on the 19th stated that the accident resulted in 2 deaths, 84 injuries, and 8 people missing.
In the early hours of February 7th, an explosion occurred in a production workshop at Jia Peng Biological Technology Co., Ltd. in Shanyin County, Shanxi Province, resulting in at least 8 fatalities.