Residents pick up the pieces, fear toxic fallout a day after deadly China chemical blast

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: May 28, 2025 5:12 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Residents adjacent a blown retired chemic works successful China's eastbound Shandong state connected Wednesday assessed the harm to their colony and monitored the wind, fearful of toxic fallout from an detonation that killed astatine slightest 5 radical a time earlier.

Black and grey fume was inactive rising from the smoldering facility, arsenic exigency services continued to thin to the site. Local officials person not yet released the results of aerial prime tests.

The blast happened conscionable earlier noon connected Tuesday astatine a works operated by Shandong Youdao Chemical successful the metropolis of Gaomi, sending plumes of orangish and achromatic fume into the entity and littering the roadside with debris for much than a kilometre.

Nineteen radical were injured and six much stay missing, according to the state-run Xinhua quality agency.

Yu Qianming, a 69-year-old farmer, showed Reuters roofing that had fallen successful and windows that had shattered, but said cipher successful his location had suffered immoderate injuries.

Yu said helium and his woman felt harmless successful their location arsenic agelong arsenic the upwind continued to stroke north, but added they had moved their grandchild elsewhere arsenic a precaution.

Shandong Youdao Chemical was established successful August 2019 successful the Gaomi Renhe chemic park, according to the company's website.

The works develops and produces chemic components for usage successful pesticides and pharmaceuticals, employing much than 300 radical connected a tract of much than 47 hectares