Investigation launched into pesticide plant blast

The Ministry of Emergency Management sent a working group on Friday to Lanzhou, Gansu province, to guide response work of an explosion that has injured at least eight people and left six missing at a pesticide manufacturing company.

The explosion happened at the company's sewage treatment unit on Thursday. Preliminary investigation showed that there was no smoke, fire or toxic gas in the 600-square-meter site of the explosion. It also ruled out secondary hazards.

The company, Gansu Binnong Technology, is located in Gansu's Qinchuan Fine Chemical Industrial Park. Registered in 2020, it mainly produces pesticides and pesticide intermediates.

Minister Huang Ming has communicated with officials from the provincial emergency management and the provincial fire departments of Gansu to guide the rescue and investigation work.

He reiterated that the rescue must be scientific and no secondary hazards will be tolerated. Also, the number of missing people should be made clear, and no effort must be spared to save the injured.

Huang added that the cause of the accident must be thoroughly investigated and people held responsible will be punished in accordance with the law.

The chemical industry programs transferred from other areas and the management system of the chemical industry must be strictly monitored, and more professionals of the industry should be introduced or trained, he said.

More than 430 rescue workers, 73 fire trucks and ambulances and 4,500 sets of equipment have been transported to the site for rescue.

Yin Hong, Gansu Party secretary, went to the site to help with the rescue work and visited the injured in hospital. He ordered all-out efforts to save the injured and find the missing people, strengthen supervision of the company to prevent secondary hazards and set up an investigation team immediately to thoroughly probe the accident.

Li Peixing, vice-governor of Gansu, led the rescue team formed by the provincial emergency management and the provincial fire departments at the explosion site. The provincial health commission has organized medical experts to help with on-site rescue work.