An explosion in a chemical factory in China

An explosion in a chemical factory, east China, shook the nearby buildings, causing damage, and resulted in the death of at least five people and wounded 19 others.

The explosion, which occurred in an industrial area in Wifang city of Shandong Province, was destroyed in the nearby buildings, according to videos posted on social media.

It was not clear the cause of the explosion that occurred in a factory owned by the company “Jaomi Yudaw Kimikal”, which produces insecticides and chemicals for medical use, and has more than 500 employees, according to the company’s registration records.

The local firefighting administration sent more than 230 individuals to the accident site, the Chinese Radio and Television Corporation said.

The explosion was strong enough to break the windows of a storage warehouse more than three kilometers from the factory, according to a video published by a local resident, who declined to be named for fear of accountability.

He said that his house was shaken by the explosion, adding: “While I was heading towards the window to see what happened, I saw a thick column of smoke rising from the site, more than three kilometers away.”