At least one person was killed in a fire at a chemical plant in Shanghai on Saturday, and thick clouds of black smoke filled the sky, according to state media reports.
The fire broke out at the Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical plant, located in Jinshan District, southwest of a major Chinese city, around 4:00 (20:00 GMT) and was brought under control a few hours later, according to the New York Times. China News Agency.
The same source said: “According to our preliminary information, a person died as a result of the fire.”
Video footage taken from the air by a local resident’s aircraft shows thick clouds of smoke over a vast industrial area, as well as 3 separate fires in separate buildings.
The accident came as Shanghai, China’s economic capital, cautiously reopened after being completely locked down for two months to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak.
The lockdown, which officially ended in early June, has led to plant closures and disruption to supply chains.
Local media reported that residents near the petrochemical plant heard an explosion followed by a fire.
Videos circulating on social media show a thick cloud of smoke and ash rising in the sky.
“The whole area was burned down,” says a shocked resident in one of the videos.
The refinery is located near the embankment, next to the natural park.
And the Shanghai Fire Department announced on Weibo, China’s local equivalent of Twitter, that more than 500 people were dispatched to the scene immediately after the incident.
Chinese State Television (CCTV) reported that the Ministry of Emergency Situations sent specialists to the scene, while the media did not explain the cause of the fire.
