Photos of a large amount of unidentified smoke and haze billowing from the factory buildings in Daya Bay circulated online on the night of the 12th, turning the night sky into an orange-red hue. Discussions among the public speculated whether an accident had occurred at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in mainland China.
Various photos from different angles circulating online showed a large area of yellow or orange-red smoke in the night sky over Daya Bay, with what appeared to be flames flickering amidst the thick smoke.
Many netizens speculated on the cause, expressing concerns about a possible accident at the Daya Bay nuclear power plant.
The Huizhou Fire Department reported that abnormal activities were detected in a petrochemical plant production workshop, where the company took emergency measures to release and burn off emissions, stating that there was no fire and no casualties.
On the morning of the 13th, the Huizhou City Fire and Rescue Detachment in Guangdong province issued a situation report, indicating that around 2 a.m. on the 12th, there was an incident of process fluctuations at the China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s petrochemical production plant in the Daya Bay area of Huizhou. The company took urgent actions to stop operations and discharge emissions for torch burning without any fire accidents or casualties.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau also clarified in the early hours that the Daya Bay nuclear power station was operating normally and that there had been no explosion.
In a late-night Facebook post on the 12th, the Hong Kong Security Bureau stated, “There are rumors circulating on social media about an explosion at the Daya Bay nuclear power station, but the Security Bureau has not received any notification from mainland authorities,” and confirmed the normal operation of the nuclear power plant after verification with the Guangdong Provincial Emergency Nuclear Office.
The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, which went into operation in 1994, is approximately 50 kilometers away from Hong Kong and is mainland China’s first large-scale commercial nuclear power station. According to reports on Hong Kong news websites, the distance between the Daya Bay nuclear power plant and the Daya Bay petrochemical area is approximately 20 kilometers in a straight line, with a driving distance of 42 kilometers.
Despite official reports on the incident, there continue to be discussions online:
– “CCTV classic phrase: ‘Harmful gases are not harmful to the body.'”
– “With the economic downturn, enterprises significantly reducing investments in safety, environmental protection, and quality, leading to frequent accidents.”
– “Air purifiers are afraid of disturbing people during the day, so they secretly do good deeds at night.”
– “Just given instructions, Guangdong really executes the highest directives overnight.”
– “Let me see, which foreign force is behind this again?”