(Jan 19): A large explosion at a steel plant in northern China killed at least two workers, injured dozens of others, and prompted the country’s emergencies ministry to send officials to the site.
The explosion occurred on Sunday afternoon at a plate mill of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co in the Inner Mongolia region, according to a Xinhua News Agency report that includes images of a huge pall of smoke rising above the site. Two workers died, eight are missing, and a further 84 people were sent to hospital, China Central Television said in a website report on Monday.
Shares of the company — a unit of state-owned Baotou Iron and Steel Group Co — sank by their daily limit of 10% before erasing some of the losses.
Major industrial accidents in China frequently trigger broader safety investigations or regulatory overhauls. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a working group to Baotou and urged authorities to investigate the accident’s cause as soon as possible to prevent any similar incidents, it said in a statement.
Measures have been taken “against the responsible parties” in accordance with the law, local officials said at a press conference, Xinhua reported. Search and rescue teams are still at the site after the explosion at the plant.
The company confirmed the two fatalities and said it will cooperate with the authorities in their investigation, it said in a Monday filing. It ranked as China’s 16th-biggest steelmaker in 2024, producing 15 million tonnes, according to data from the World Steel Association.
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