Warehouse Storing Chemicals Explodes In Shandong

An explosion has been reported at a chemical plant in China’s eastern province of Shandong. Large flames can be seen from the site of the blast in Zibo County, there are so far no reports of any casualties. There is a residential area about 1km from the plant; earlier this month blasts in the northern city of Tianjin killed at least 116 people. The blast took place near the city of Zibo though it is not yet clear if homes in the area have been damaged. The Xinhua news agency reported that the explosion triggered a fire and that a dozen fire engines were at the scene. The operators of the Tianjin site are being investigated for allowing dangerous chemicals to be stored too close to homes. The blasts there also raised fears of contamination by toxic substances. They also sparked a nationwide directive cracking down on the storage of chemicals.