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Power plant explosion in China kills over 20 | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
At least 21 people have reportedly been killed in a blast at a coal-fired power plant in central China, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Five other people have been injured. | |
The incident took place in Dangyang, in the central province of Hubei on Thursday afternoon at around 15:20 local time (07:20GMT). The injured have been taken to the hospital and three are reported to be in critical conditions. | |
Local authorities say that the blast was caused by a high pressure steam tube that broke at the plant, according to CCTV. | |
A huge plume of smoke could be seen rising from the facility into the air. Earlier reports said the affected site was actually a chemical plant. However, the South China Morning Post later reported that it was a coal-based power plant, citing local media. | |
In addition to generating electricity, the power company, founded in 2002, was involved in the sale of slag and ash, as well as petroleum products. | |
Chinese industrial facilities have a poor safety record, as a number of accidents have been reported before. Chemical blasts in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people in August of 2015. A government report said that explosion had been caused by materials being improperly or illegally stored on site. | |
A total of 49 people were later detained by the authorities. | A total of 49 people were later detained by the authorities. |