Residents pick up debris, worrying about toxic consequences the day after the deadly Chinese chemical explosion
Residents near a chemical plant in Shandong province in eastern China on Wednesday assessed the damage to the village and monitored the wind for fear of the toxic consequences of the explosion that killed at least five people a day.
Black and gray smoke continues to increase in the muffled facilities as emergency services continue to reach the scene. Local officials have not released results for air quality tests.
The explosion occurred before noon on Tuesday, at a factory run by Shandong Youdao Chemical in Shandong, where the plumes of orange and black smoke flowed into the sky and littered with debris, occupying more than a kilometer.
According to the state-owned Xinhua News Agency, 19 people were injured and 6 others were missing.
Yu Qianming, a 69-year-old farmer, showed Reuters' roofs that fell into the windows, but said no one in his home was injured.
Yu said he and his wife felt safe in their home as long as the wind continued to blow north, but added that they moved their grandson elsewhere to take precautions.
According to the company's website, Shandong Youdao Chemical was founded in August 2019 in Gaomi Renhe Chemical Park.
The plant develops and produces chemical components for pesticides and medicines, employing more than 300 employees on a site of more than 47 hectares
