On the afternoon of April 16th, a chemical factory in Zibo, Shandong Province, caught fire and exploded, with flames soaring into the sky and thick smoke billowing out.
Videos posted by netizens showed a huge fireball rising into the air accompanied by the sound of the explosion, and the black smoke covering half of the sky.
According to reports from Red Star News and others, the incident took place near Nanfeng Road, Jinshan Town, Linzi District, where the surrounding area is mostly occupied by chemical factories.
Residents nearby described hearing not only a loud explosion but also feeling a significant tremor. “At that time, the glass in the residential area was vibrating, and we could feel distinct tremors, like five or six explosions in a row,” they said.
Witnesses closer to the scene of the explosion revealed that after the explosion, a pungent odor filled the air around the factory, prompting them to quickly close doors and windows and move away from the area.
On the same evening, the Emergency Management Bureau of Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, reported that at around 15:37 on April 16th, there was a fire at Zibo Jiusheng Chemical Co., Ltd. in Linzi District, with the flames extinguished at 17:27, and no casualties reported.
Zibo Jiusheng Chemical Co., Ltd. was established in 2006 and is primarily engaged in the sale and production of chemical products, with a registered capital of 15 million RMB.