Blast hits chemical plant in east China

JINAN -- Nine people have been injured after a blast ripped through a chemical plant in east China's Shandong Province on Saturday night, local authorities said. No deaths have been reported.

The explosion occurred at Shandong Runxing Chemical Technology Co. Ltd at around 8:50 p.m. in Dongfu Village, Huantai County and triggered a fire, according to the official Sina Weibo account of the public security bureau of Zibo City, which administers Huantai.

A total of 150 firefighters from the city's fire brigade are battling the blaze. More firefighters from neighboring cities are heading to help.

The injured are being treated in the hospital, said the Weibo account.

With a registered capital of 200 million yuan (31.3 million U.S. dollars), the blasted plant is a subsidiary of Shandong's Runxing group. It produces chemicals, such as adiponitrile, a colorless liquid that can burn when encountering with fire. It can give off toxic fumes after decomposing on heating or burning.

The blast came 10 days after warehouse explosions in north China's Tianjin Municipality that have left 121 people dead and 54 missing.