The death toll from a petrochemical plant explosion in northeastern China rose to five on Monday, with eight victims still missing, authorities said.
More than 30 people were injured when the refinery in Panjin, Liaoning province, caught fire and erupted in a large blast at around 1:30 p.m. local time on January 15, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV, which cited local officials.
Videos captured by nearby residents and posted to social media showed a plume of dark smoke rising into the sky above Panshan county. Other clips showed buildings at the chemical plant engulfed in flames, which rescuers said took hours to contain.
Graphic images also showed injured victims seeking treatment at a local hospital. The shockwave from the explosion shattered windows in nearby buildings, according to the footage.
Zhang Hui, a safety official with plant owner Panjin Haoye Chemical Co. Ltd., told The Beijing News that the explosion happened when workers were carrying out maintenance at an alkylation facility. A pipe leak was to blame, and the chemicals complicated firefighting efforts for several hours, he said.
The oil refinery and petrochemical processing complex was shut down. A detailed investigation was still pending, said Zhang, who confirmed that the missing victims were plant staff.
Images carried by state media showed the blaze burning into the night, destroying entire structures as well as pipes and storage containers. The local fire department said several hundred firefighters and more than 100 fire trucks had been dispatched.
Residents living near the site said debris was spotted in the air after the explosion, according to the local press. Several reported broken windows, and authorities urged them to evacuate, citing the risk of a secondary blast.
One resident said he heard the explosion and felt its vibrations 25 miles away.
Panjin Haoye's representatives couldn't be reached for comment.
Panjin Haoye is an independent refinery established in 2012 on the back of an $81 million capital investment, according to its website. It employs 2,500 workers and ranked 52 in China's top 500 petrochemical companies in 2020.
In 2016, the company was fined by Panjin authorities for unauthorized construction work, according to local media. A trade source told Reuters on Monday that gas prices surged because of the chemical plant's unplanned outage.
Deadly industrial accidents are commonplace in the world's second-largest economy, where the local enforcement of safety standards is often lax, despite Beijing's promise to impose tougher workplace safety regulations.
One of China's worse industrial mishaps happened in the northeastern port city of Tianjin in August 2015, when a series of explosions at a chemical storage facility killed 173 people, including 104 firemen.