THIS is the shocking moment a massive explosion shook a chemical plant in eastern China’s Shandong province.
Terrifying footage shows the moment of the eruption at the Gaomi Youdao Chemical plant in the city of at around midday local time.
Images show the roaring inferno followed by billows of black smoke rising high into the sky.
Emergency Services sent more than 230 firefighters and 55 vehicles to the scene to try and bring the blaze caused by the explosion under control.
The explosion killed at least five people while 19 are reportedly injured, according to local emergency management authorities.
A further six people are currently missing.
A local resident told the The Associated Press news agency that his home – located than 7km (4.3 miles) from the plant – shook from the impact of the explosion.
The plant manufactures pesticides as well as chemicals for medical use, and has more than 500 employees, according to corporate registration records.
Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.
Workplace safety has improved over the years in China but remains a stubborn problem.
The National Ministry of Emergency Management recorded 21,800 incidents and 19,600 deaths in 2024.
A recent spate of such accidents has prompted calls from Presidentfor “deep reflection”;; and greater efforts to stop them.
Last month, at least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing.
In January, dozens died after a fire broke out at a store in the central city of Xinyu, with state news agency Xinhua reporting the blaze had been caused by the “illegal”;; use of fire by workers in the store’s basement.
That fire came just days after a late-evening blaze at a school in central Henan province
Domestic media reports suggested the fire was caused by an electric heating device.
Meanwhile, a deadly explosion ripped through a fried chicken shop in northern China, killing two people and injuring 26 more last year.
Shops, homes, and cars were completely destroyed in theblast, which is believed to have been caused by agasleak, according to state reported at the time.
