On May 27th at noon, an explosion occurred in a workshop at Shandong Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co., Ltd. Later that evening at 7:25 pm, the Gaomi City Emergency Management Center reported that the accident had resulted in 5 deaths, 6 missing individuals, and 19 injuries. As of 2:30 am on May 29th, the casualty figures had not been updated. Family members of the chemical factory workers in Gaomi expressed that the police were withholding information, believing that more than just a few people had died in the incident.
One family member, named Lu Ming (pseudonym), shared with Epoch Times on the evening of May 28th, “This explosion incident is very serious. Many people should have died, with 90% of the injured in critical condition. There are more deaths than survivors, and most of the survivors are severely injured. My brother was seriously injured and is currently in a hospital in Weifang. He has not yet passed the critical period.”
“My brother is 33 years old, with a 6-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. He has been working at this chemical factory for four years. His wife also works at the factory in an office building outside the plant. Fortunately, she was off duty yesterday, so she is safe,” Lu Ming said. “Our family only found out about the news later, and then received a text message notification that my brother had been in an accident. My father and sister have gone to the hospital, and my mother is worried because my brother still can’t eat.”
According to Lu Ming, a coworker who was injured mentioned, “There was nowhere to run at that moment. The fire ignited instantly, feeling like a cannon had exploded on us. There were about 80 people on duty in the factory, but the exact number inside at the time of the explosion is unclear. The death toll is even more uncertain; it definitely is not just the few people reported, as the data is not accurate, and the police are withholding information.”
“The explosion occurred in the production operation workshop, and everyone inside must have perished,” Lu Ming said. “My brother’s coworker said there were over a dozen people in the production operation workshop, and all the workshops exploded together. It’s hard to believe anyone inside survived. Many people suffered severe burns, and ambulances couldn’t reach them, so they were taken to several hospitals separately. Additionally, the adjacent chemical plant also exploded due to the shockwave from this explosion.”
A worker named Liang Ze (pseudonym) who lives near the chemical factory told Epoch Times, “I am a migrant worker, about three to four kilometers away from the explosion at the chemical factory. The factory had over 300 employees, and the explosion caused nearby shop windows to shatter, injuring some shop owners. You can imagine that the number of casualties is definitely not low.”
Regarding the cause of the fire, Lu Ming mentioned, “It is said that there was a gas leak in the plant, which had been previously reported, but the management did not take it seriously. The rectification required funding, so they only made minor repairs.” “It is unclear what caused the explosion. Some say a fire started in the yard first. The current owner is like this – when something happens, they ignore it. The owner of this plant has bribed the government, failed to comply with regulatory measures after being emphasized to rectify twice, and now the officials are under control.”
Risk information indicates that the company had previously faced legal proceedings due to labor disputes. The company produces highly efficient low-toxicity agricultural pesticides that may contain toxic components. In August 2023, during a spot check by the Weifang Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, the company was found to have issues and was instructed to make administrative corrections. In February 2024, during regulatory inspections, Youdao Chemical was categorized as a key target for rectification due to significant accident hazards.
Ms. Lan, a resident of Shandong, remarked to Epoch Times, “The safety awareness of mainland Chinese companies is relatively weak. Over the years, regulatory agencies have been supervising them, but the extent of mutual understanding between the regulators and the companies remains unknown. The regulatory authorities bear an undeniable responsibility for this incident.”
According to the official website of Youdao Chemical, the company is a subsidiary of Haomai Group, established in August 2019 with a registered capital of 1 billion yuan. It is located in Renhe Chemical Industrial Park in Gaomi, Weifang City, Shandong Province, covering an area of over 700 acres. The company focuses on the development and production of highly efficient low-toxic agricultural pesticides and their specialized intermediates. Its main product is chlorfenapyr, used in the protection of rice, fruits, vegetables, and other crops. As of May 2025, the company has over 300 employees, including 81 dedicated research and development personnel, with 54 holding a master’s degree or higher.