On the afternoon of October 24, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant near Hushan Road in Wendeng District, Weihai City, Shandong Province, with thick smoke billowing at the scene.
According to Jin Yun News, around 4 p.m. on the 24th, residents in the development zone of Wendeng District heard a loud noise. “At first, I thought it was the cabinet of the upstairs residents falling and hitting the ground, the sound was very loud,” said a local resident. When he looked out the window, he saw thick smoke rising from a chemical industrial park nearby.
Another resident stated, “At that time, the windows were shaking, and the door felt like it was hit.” Shortly after, fire trucks and police cars rushed to the scene, and the surrounding area was cordoned off.
A local netizen expressed, “In the afternoon, I heard the continuous sirens of fire trucks at Xiushan Park. I initially thought it was an air raid alert because the sirens lasted too long.” Nearby residents also told Xinjingbao that they smelled a pungent odor during the explosion. Another netizen said, “I just passed by, the air felt tangy, I didn’t dare to breathe.”
Insiders revealed that the chemical plant involved in the explosion is Shandong Genyuan New Materials Co., Ltd. Public records show that Shandong Genyuan was established in 2019, mainly engaged in the production and sales of additives for lithium battery electrolytes.
Insiders also disclosed that this was not the first explosion at the chemical plant. “In the winter of 2023, there was a previous explosion, and the explosion dust floated three kilometers away. Nearby residents have complained multiple times about the smell in the air after explosions.”
However, according to local netizens, because the last explosion occurred in the early morning when everyone was asleep, it was “covered up,” and it was only reported this time since more people saw it in the afternoon.
On the night of the incident, the Wendeng District Emergency Management Bureau reported that the fire had been extinguished, there were no casualties, and no toxic or harmful gases were detected.
The report faced skepticism from netizens, with some questioning, “No casualties reported, who would believe that?” Some netizens also mentioned, “The air is filled with toxic gas, last time the roadside flowers and plants were all poisoned.” “Not only flowers, vegetables, the whole village was ruined.”
Other netizens expressed concerns, “Our windows were shaking even though we are far away, hope everyone is safe. My friend’s husband stopped working after the first explosion, and now this happened again.” “Within a 10-kilometer radius around the chemical plant, it should not be suitable for habitation.” “How can there be residential houses in the chemical plant area?” “Human safety is most important!” “Strict investigation needed!”