A fire at the premises of a company that deals with chemicals and other industrial products in China’s central Henan province killed 38 people, local authorities said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Anyang city government added that two people were injured during the incident, which took place on Monday.
It took firefighters about three and a half hours to control the fire, which started around 4:30 p.m. in China (8:30 a.m. in Lisbon).
Images broadcast by state television CCTV show flames and smoke billowing from what appears to be a two-story building engulfed in flames. Night photos show firefighters examining what remains of the structure, complete with an extension ladder and lights.
A fire at a factory in the central Chinese city of Anyang has killed 36 people, left two others missing and sent two others to hospital. pic.twitter.com/nrvGchoLzL
– South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) November 22, 2022
Authorities did not specify the cause of the fire.
China has a long history of deadly industrial accidents, caused by poor implementation of safety measures, fueled by competition between companies and corruption in supervisory bodies.
Poor storage conditions, closed fire exits, and a lack of firefighting equipment are often cited as direct causes.
Information available online about the company that owns the building, Kaixinda, reveals that it is a wholesaler that deals in a wide range of industrial products, including specialty chemicals.
A massive 2015 explosion at a chemical warehouse in the north Chinese port city of Tianjin killed 173 people.
Source: TSF
