On August 28, a chemical plant in Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province caught fire and exploded, resulting in at least 2 deaths and 3 injuries.
A viral video circulating online shows dense smoke billowing up into the sky at the scene of the incident. Several local netizens commented that one of the workshops in the factory exploded around 7:40 in the morning. By 8 o’clock in the morning, thick smoke was already visible according to some netizens who arrived at a neighboring factory.
Residents in the vicinity reported hearing two loud bangs during the incident, with glass windows at nearby factories shattered and ceilings falling off, as stated by witnesses to Xinjingbao.
Numerous netizens also shared their experiences, with comments including, “It’s less than 4 kilometers straight from my home, and my windows shook.” Another user mentioned, “I felt the tremor in Lushan. Yesterday morning, I thought my train exploded, and immediately went downstairs to check…” A concerned netizen shared, “My mom works at the factory next to it. She said their factory, which is only about a minute or two away from the exploding factory, had its door deformed.”
One netizen disclosed that their eldest son was injured in the incident at the factory, while another mentioned that their neighbor lost their life during the accident.
According to the emergency bureau of Changxing County, Huzhou, on August 28 at 7:47 a.m., a fire broke out in the factory of Zhejiang Dachuan New Materials Co., Ltd. By 8:30 a.m., the fire had been brought under control, but 2 people were reported missing. Officials from the environmental protection department in Huzhou stated that the factory is engaged in chemical production and chemical reagents were burning.
On August 29, Xinjingbao learned from various departments in Changxing County, Huzhou, that the 2 missing persons from the chemical plant fire have been located. Staff at the local funeral parlor confirmed that they have received the bodies of the 2 victims.
Furthermore, officials from the Huzhou city government mentioned that 2 injured individuals have been hospitalized for treatment. However, family members of the injured expressed that “three people were taken to the hospital, one of whom is my brother.”
Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s tendency to conceal disaster-related information, the specific number of casualties cannot be confirmed at present. Netizens revealed that all relevant information has been blocked and is no longer accessible.
According to information from the official website of Zhejiang Dachuan New Materials Co., Ltd., the company is located in the industrial functional zone in the southern part of the economic development area in Changxing County. The factory covers an area of over one hundred mu, with an investment of over 100 million yuan. The company went public on October 26, 2015, and currently produces over fifty products in six major categories including chemical intermediates (silver single series), water treatment (silver water series), printing and dyeing auxiliaries (silver spinning series), daily chemical auxiliaries (silver assistance series), papermaking auxiliaries (silver paper series), and oilfield chemical agents (silver oil series).