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Death toll in China chemical blast rises to 64

Hindustan Times, Beijing | BySutirtho Patranobis
Mar 23, 2019 05:06 PM IST

The death toll from the explosion at a chemical plant in east China’s Jiangsu province rose to 64 on Saturday, authorities said, adding at least 21 remain in critical condition and 28 others are listed as missing.

The death toll from the explosion at a chemical plant in east China’s Jiangsu province rose to 64 on Saturday, authorities said, adding at least 21 remain in critical condition and 28 others are listed as missing.

At least 70 more sustained severe injuries when the fire followed by explosion ripped through the Jiangsu Tianjiayi chemical company plant in the Xiangshui county of Yancheng city on Thursday afternoon.

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“Thousands of firefighters and medical workers and hundreds of ambulances and fire trucks have joined an all-out rescue after the explosion,” the official news agency, Xinhua, said in a report.

A total of 89 houses in nearby areas were severely damaged in the blast, the report said, adding that the owners will be compensated or relocated, authorities said.

The impact of the explosion shattered windows of more than 2800 houses.

The damaged doors and windows at 10 nearby schools will be fixed in time to ensure classes resume as normal on Monday.

A few thousand inhabitants from the neighbourhood had to be evacuated.

Yancheng environment protection official Cheng Jie told the state-run tabloid Global Times that sample tests show that chemical pollutants have dispersed, and the atmospheric parameters have come down to normal limits.

Cao Lubao, the mayor of Yancheng, said at a press conference on Saturday that at least 26 of the deceased have been identified.

According to Cao, 16 hospitals across Yancheng had received and treated 617 patients as of press time, among them 523 had suffered non-serious injuries.

Established in 2007, the plant mainly produced pesticides, and reports say had a history of violating rules.

Chinese state councilor Wang Yong has led officials from departments of the State Council, China’s cabinet, to the explosion site to guide the rescue and emergency response work and visit the injured people.

Wang was assigned to the site by President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Premier Li Keqiang, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Xi on Friday demanded that all-out efforts be made to search those trapped, and the injured be timely treated and relief work be well done to maintain social stability, the Xinhua reported.

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