This morning at 6:05am a major explosion took place at the BASF－YPC factory in Liuhe. An oil refinery tower refining ethylene was the source of the explosion.
*UPDATE* The fire had been brought under control by local fire fighters by 8am.
*UPDATE* A further investigation into the cause is underway.
*UPDATE* Elevated VOC levels were measured by environmental officials at 9am this morning.
*UPDATE* The fire department sent 30 rescue vehicles to the scene. Currently (12:40 pm) 29 cars remain on site.
While safety mechanisms have effectively ensured the river will not be flooded by chemicals, there is no way of hindering them from entering the atmosphere. Reports are suggesting elevated levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds). The official line is that no environmental damage was caused by the explosion. It is true that ethylene is not harmful to humans, however it is highly flammable.
According Phoenix only one person suffered minor injuries; they are currently in hospital. There were no casualties.
The noise of the explosion was so substantial that residents up to 5km away were pulled from their sleep.
In the vicinity of the explosion, houses shook from the impact of the explosions and windows were shattered; some residents suffered minor injuries from glass shards.
A large cloud of smoke could be seen emerging from the factory after the explosion, caused by a resulting fire. Pictures of the wall of smoke have gone viral on Chinese social media Weibo.
Fire fighters, police and environmental departments are currently at the scene trying to bring the fire under control and assess the damage to factory and environment.
The explosion comes only four days after the Jiangsu Safety Bureau announced an investigation into the safety levels of BASF-YPC’s factory and equipment.
We will update you with any major developments.
