DONGFU, SHANDONG, China, Aug. 22 (UPI) — Less than two weeks after catastrophic explosions leveled an industrial district in Tianjin, China, a chemical plant less than 200 miles away was rocked by its own blast Saturday.
The explosion at the plant, located in Dongfu, Shandong Province, occurred Saturday evening. Authorities said at least nine people were injured, but no one was killed.
The blast wasn’t nearly as powerful as either of the massive Tianjin explosions, but officials say it was strong enough to shatter windows in homes a few blocks away.
Dongfu is a small village about 250 miles south of Beijing, and about 180 miles south of Tianjin.
The resulting fire burned for about two hours, and the cause of the explosion was not immediately known.
One resident said the chemical plant had only recently started operating and was still in the process of hiring workers, the South China Morning Post reported.
A warehouse district in Tianjin was devastated after two powerful explosions occurred Aug. 12 — killing at least 121 people and 67 firefighters, and leaving 54 still unaccounted for.
